Already Free
Derek Trucks Band’s sixth album, Already Free, is very mature compared to their previous albums. Recorded in Derek’s home studio, it captures the live sound of the band without sounding too live. The first thing that you’ll notice in this new album is that the band did not focus much on the instrumental aspect of their music but on the structure and texture of their sound. But despite the fact that this new album is not so much into the instrumental side of their music, you won’t miss Trucks’ amazing guitar work that weaves well with the smooth bass playing of Todd Smallie.
Aside from the unmistakable maturity, what makes this album interesting is the fact that there are some covers that are included here, one of which is Bob Dylan’s “Down in the Flood,” which was released as a download during Election Day. The presence of many vocalists also makes the album more colorful than the usual R&B, jazz and Middle Eastern palette of the band’s music. Trucks’ wife, Susan Tedeschi, gave out some Bonnie Raittish colors on the track “Back Where I Started”. Doyle Bramhall II delivers good vocals on the song “Maybe This Time”. The authentic sounding gospel chorus of “Sweet Inspiration” is a perfect match to Mike Mattison’s raucous voice and Derek’s fluid slide guitar playing (that at times sounds like some human voice). It is undeniable that Derek’s guitar playing is still the foundation of the band’s music, it gives each song the kind of structure that only Derek’s funky guitar could give.
In Already Free you can smell the sound of the Kinks laced with some Allman Brothers twang. Blame it on Derek’s home studio, which makes good use of some old Neve desk “that the Kinks had in their studio in London for 30 years.”
This album could well be the best album of the band (though we could not disregard the power of their previous outings). I can see myself listening to the album for some time, and it is becoming one of my favorites.
