Widespread Panic

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Widespread Panic

Free Somehow  Hear it Now

RS: 2of 5 Stars

2008

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These Athens, Georgia, guys have long been a Jam Nation favorite, consistently selling out shows without ever scoring Phish-level fame. Their tenth studio album rocks ­steadily, piling up grimy riffs, soul-power horns and snatches of eerie psychedelia. But Free Somehow sounds like what happens when ­wizened road warriors hit the studio begrudgingly: Rockers like “Walk on the Flood” offer a lot of sweaty stomp without a strong tune. Singer John Bell shows he’s capable of both bluesy gruffness and lighter crooning, growling his way through “Dark Day Program” and murmuring like a stoned shaman on the mellow “Three Candles.” Unfortunately driving the songs near — or past — the six-­minute mark with solos and such, which Widespread do on four of eleven tracks, doesn’t much help.

CHRISTIAN HOARD

(Posted: Feb 21, 2008)

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