Blues-rock brother breaks no barriers

The Magpie Salute was born in 2016 from former members of the Black Crowes, a blues-rock band that was extremely popular in the ’90s and 2000s. Spearheaded by co-guitarists/vocalists/songwriters/brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, the Crowes enjoyed a long and consistent career, but they broke up in 2015 over a dispute between the brothers. Both Chris and Rich went their separate ways with solo careers. Rich then formed The Magpie Salute with a host of other musicians, including former Crowes members Sven Pipien (bass) and Marc Ford (guitar). Originally the project was supposed to go on a small tour, but there was a surprising amount of demand, which led to more shows. Now, in 2018, the band has officially released their debut studio album, High Water I.

One thing that immediately jumps out about The Magpie Salute’s sound is that it’s largely similar to the original Crowes music. This is predictable given the fact that Robinson is the primary songwriter once again. What does this mean? It means the album is packed with blues-rock swagger, whether because of Robinson’s raspy, high-pitched vocals or downright sinful guitar playing, or new drummer Joe Magistro’s airtight grooves. Robinson’s penchant for unorthodox guitar tunings gives the instrument a jangly 12-string feel à la John Rzeznik.

Blues-rock may be the over-arching genre of the album, but that doesn’t mean all the songs sound the same. Some tracks lean much more heavily on the rock side, such as the wild opener “Mary The Gypsy,” while others lean heavily on the ‘sexy slow jam’ side, such as “Sister Moon.” Other songs dip into rockabilly (“Hand In Hand”), progressive rock (the title track) or Lynyrd Skynyrd-style Southern rock (“Color Blind”).

Overall, the one disappointing aspect of this album is its lack of deviation from the original Black Crowes sound. The songs are good, but they don’t break down any new barriers or explore crazy foreign new sounds. Granted, Robinson isn’t obligated to do any of this, but he won’t necessarily gain any new fans. Old-school Crowes supporters will love High Water I though, and maybe that’s all Robinson hopes to accomplish. If so, he’s succeeded.