Ben Harper And Relentless7 - White Lies For Dark Times

"Ben Harper's 'Relentless' return to rock."

I've been reading similar tag-lines about White Lies For Dark Times for a while now. I must be missing something, because Ben Harper's return to rock sounds suspiciously like...well, the same old Ben Harper. Sure, this time he's brought along his old backing band (among others), now dubbed Relentless7 (a play on "relentless heaven," I assume), but there's really no "return" of anything here besides some musicians of old. Not a damn thing wrong with that, either.

White Lies For Dark Times does boast a collection of tunes that lean more toward the blues/folk-rock side of things, but not in a style that Harper ever abandoned. This album simply has less of his trademark folk/ballad leanings (though it is present in the back-to-back form of "Skin Thin" and "Fly One Time," and the album closer, "Faithfully Remain"). If that's a "return" to rock, well, then, welcome home, Mr. Harper.

There isn't a bad song on this album. Ben and his new relentless crew bang out some fantastic tracks throughout its near 50 minutes. "Number With No Name" sets the tone with its fuzzed-out, straight-from-the-70s guitar and catchy hook riding a foot-stompin' groove. "Shimmer & Shine" nails it down in similar fashion, with a radio-friendly hook. "Lay There & Hate Me" spreads out a layer of old school R&B, while the brilliant blues-rocker "Why Must You Always Dress In Black" was tailor-made for that groovin' Memphis strip they call Beale Street.

Ben Harper And Relentless7 strike another gold notch in Ben's already brilliant catalog. Whether it's rock, folk, blues, or even the gospel-tinged album Let There Be Light—with the Blind Boys Of Alabama—Harper never fails to craft memorable songs. White Lies For Dark Times isn't as dynamic as previous albums, but it's an outstanding piece of work, one that stands tall and proud among those past giants.

Video: Shimmer & Shine, Lay There & Hate Me (Live)

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