J&R Adventures
I thought ‘Supergroups’ only released one or two albums, but Black Country Communion are no ordinary supergroup. Seven years after the arrival of ‘BCCIV’, we have ‘V’. It kicks off with the single ‘Enlighten’, immediately showcasing Hughes’ infinite vocal power on top of a swaggering groove, and the chorus is catchy and memorable – classic BCC. The funky second track, ‘Stay Free’ is beautifully layered, particularly Sherinian’s clavinet and Bonamassa’s rhythm guitar, and the latter’s solo is blistering, but the star of the track is, again, Hughes’ voice. He will be 73 this summer, but sounds no older than 43. Next we have ‘Red Sun’, the title of which is not a million miles from ‘Black Hole Sun’, and the heavy riff would not be out of place on a Soundgarden album. The pace slows down and Bonamassa gets his blues fix on the Gary Mooresque ‘Restless’, which sounds more like one of his solo tracks than BCC. ‘Letting Go’ sounds like a simple, punchy AC/DCesque rocker that Hughes could have written with The Dead Daisies. Sherinian’s organ and Bonamassa’s guitar compliment each other particularly well during ‘Skyway’, which has a slow yet aggressive Deep Purplesque drive. Jason Bonham’s drumming shines on ‘You’re Not Alone’ and also on a late highlight of the record, ‘Love and Faith’, a Led Zepplinesque track which features both Bonamassa and Hughes on vocals and a hymnal organ. The musical camaraderie between the entire band is particularly evident on this track. The album could have ended satisfactorily there, but we have another two tracks. Sherinian’s Hammond decorates ‘Too Far Gone’ and the funk returns with the closer ‘The Open Road’, complete with a cowbell beat, but about 2 and half minutes in the song takes a surprising turn and the pace slows momentarily as Bonamassa begins a powerful, long solo that builds in pace again as the funk returns. The transition is masterfully done.
The songs on ‘V’ could be played in any order, such is the strength and variety of the individual tracks, and the record is a ‘grower’, improving with every listen. Glenn Hughes told us in an upcoming interview that the band wrote the album in under 30 hours. This is not just a supergroup, but a supergroup with superpowers.
4.5/6 | Anne-Marie Forker
Release date: 14 June 2024