Volatile fraternal relationships are nothing new in music. What is quite unusual, however, is that one brother goes on to do something which is at least on par with what made them famous in the first place. The Magpie Salute may just turn out to be one of those instances. After a legal dispute between Chris and Rich Robinson lead to the unfortunate dissolution of The Black Crowes, the latter sounds more focused and inspired than he has in a long time on the first studio album of The Magpie Salute, which also features ex-Crowes Marc Ford and Sven Pipien.

Without Chris Robinson’s hippie mysticism influencing the overall sound, Rich Robinson’s compositions really get the chance to shine. What helps is that singer John Hogg is a revelation. He has a powerful, versatile voice that sounds quite unique during the introspective parts and somewhat reminiscent of Kelly Keeling in his more powerful moments. The music itself is quite reminiscent of The Black Crowes – how could it not? – but more concise and powerful. As a whole, ‘High Water I’ does feel like it rocks a little harder than most of the Crowes’ recent work, but it is every bit as versatile.

Guitar-wise, there is a great deal of respect between Ford and Robinson on ‘High Water I’. They never get in each other’s way and really give each other the chance to excel in their respective specialties. For slide master Ford, the rootsy rocker ‘Take It All’, the acoustic americana of ‘Hand In Hand’ and various moments of pedal steel-like beauty are the obvious moments to shine, while Robinson is more of a master of strong melodic content. The latter was never a showy player in the first place; it is quite obvious that he just wants what is best for the songs.

‘High Water I’ has a remarkably pleasant flow. While each song is different from the others, the sequencing is sublime. That does not mean there aren’t any highlights, of course. ‘High Water’ sounds like it could have been inserted into ‘Led Zeppelin III’ without anyone noticing, as it is acoustic, yet extremely powerful. Closing track ‘Open Up’ works its way from a brooding acoustic riff to a gorgeous climactic harmony in the chorus, while ‘For The Wind’ is a powerful, dynamic epic, ‘Send Me Omen’ is a strong rocker and ‘Sister Moon’ is a gorgeous minor key pop song.

It is too early to tell whether The Magpie Salute will be as good as The Black Crowes, but ‘High Water I’ can certainly be compared favorably to ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ and ‘The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion’. It is basically the album I have been wanting the Crowes to make for at least twenty years with a much better singer to boot. The more concise songwriting certainly contributes to my joy listening to this album, but the greater degree of focus certainly works miracles as well. Sure, it kind of sounds like the Crowes, but definitely on one of their best days.

Recommended tracks: ‘High Water I’, ‘Open Up’, ‘For The Wind’