On his previous album, Ben Harper was literally a protest singer with no voice. Winter Is For Lovers consisted entirely of instrumentals. on Bloodline Maintenance Harper is back on track. The singer who treats the political and personal with an eclectic mix of soul, reggae, folk and blues and exposes abuses.
Of We Need To Talk About It let him know right away that we need to talk. About slavery. With a sinister wah wah-In the background, a heartfelt conversation unfolds between a lamenting Harper and a women’s gospel choir. Gripping in all its purity. Like Smile At The Mention, in which Harper rivals Otis Redding in emotional urgency and phrasing. But Harper lets in just as well Problem Child, a jam of rudimentary blues and jazz, hip-hop scratches pass by. That makes Harper not so much a traditionalist as a guardian of black Americana—and a great interpreter of it.
Ben Harper
Bloodline Maintenance
Americana
★★★★ ren
Chrysalis Records
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