Derek Trucks Band returns to its roots on new album

Those who have heard of Derek Trucks usually recognize his name because of his work with the Allman Brothers, where he plays guitar alongside Warren Haynes. However, Derek Trucks also has his own band that he has been playing with since he was fifteen years old.

Derek Trucks' style is deeply rooted in the blues and jazz that he grew up with, being that he is the nephew of Butch Trucks, the founding drummer of the Allman Brothers. Therefore, during their first two albums the Derek Trucks Band played mostly jazz and blues covers. As the band progressed, and as Derek Trucks' guitar ability improved, they began to develop their own sound. Their next few albums incorporated more world, Latin, Gospel, and even Jamaican influences which contributed to a unique sound that was surprisingly different than Derek Trucks' former work with the Allman Brothers. "Already Free" brings the Derek Trucks Band back to their roots and is filled with the nitty-gritty blues that Derek Trucks is so famous for.

The album kick starts with a distinctive cover of Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood" sung by the soulful Mike Mattison. The album then transitions into the funky, up-tempo "Something to Make you Happy." Next is the song "Maybe This Time" which is a slow-tempo song, and the first of two songs where Doyle Bramhall II provides lead vocals. Doyle Bramhall II played guitar alongside Derek Trucks when they both toured with Eric Clapton. Unfortunately, Doyle's vocals are one of the few negative aspects of this album. Doyle's voice doesn't capture the emotion and energy that Mike Mattison's vocals exude. As a result, the songs that include Doyle on vocals don't fulfill their potential.

"Sweet Inspiration" is one of the catchiest songs on the album. It features a captivating guitar riff and includes a great solo by Derek Trucks along with the expressive vocals of Mike Mattison. "Back Where I Started" features Susan Tedeschi on vocals--a wonderful musician with a beautiful voice who just happens to be Derek's wife. In this song, Derek Trucks takes a back seat and lets his wife pour her heart and soul into the vocals. The album ends with the title track "Already Free" which is a mellow delta blues-esque song that exemplifies this album as a return to their roots in blues. This album is one of the Derek Trucks Band's most accessible albums to date.

Overall, this is the one of the band's more cohesive albums. Every track is no more than five minutes (a rarity for a Derek Trucks album) and Derek Trucks keeps his solos short and sweet. Although, some may criticize the Derek Trucks Band for abandoning the path they took on their previous albums, this is definitely a wrongful accusation. "Already Free" serves as a memorial to all of the progress that The Derek Trucks Band has made over the years, and acts as an indicator of what is to come. Therefore if you are a fan of good blues music, or you just want to hear the amazing ability of a guitarist who Rolling Stone termed as one of the three "new guitar gods," then "Already Free" is definitely worth listening to.