It's 2 a.m. at a studio in Burbank, California, and Ben Harper is about to get loud. He plugs in a 12-string acoustic and slides into "Number With No Name," one of 11 tracks planned for White Lies for Dark Times, his ninth studio set and his first with a new backing band, Relentless7. The sound is hard rock mixed with deep Delta blues. "Is that too much sound?" Harper asks as he steps into the control room for a listen. Guitarist Jason Mozersky just shakes his head. "No, dude, it's awesome," he says, eyes widening. "That was the shit."

Just as excited are the other guys in Relentless7, three musicians from Austin whom Harper first played with on 2006's Both Sides of the Gun. The new tunes are all rooted in the same traditions that have always obsessed Harper, but the approach is stripped down and cranked up — more Cream than Jack Johnson — and a big departure from 2007's understated Lifeline, recorded with his longtime backup quintet, the Innocent Criminals. The album ranges from the spaghetti-Western vibe of "Up to You Now" and the wah-wah riffs of "Boots Like These" to the brooding acoustic guitars of "Skin Thin." "It's a sound I've been looking for and reaching for in my mind," says Harper. "We've taken turns kicking each others' asses in the most gracious fashion, pushing this into new places."

Harper is fully committed to his trio of new collaborators but is also keeping the Innocent Criminals going as an active unit. His model is Neil Young, who tours and records with several groups. Right now, Harper just wants to stretch out in a smaller setting. "I don't want to have to deconstruct one to construct the other," Harper insists. "I can run two trains and put two bands on different stages for different reasons. I'm going to support each one 100 percent."

[From Issue 1072 — February 19, 2009]