While it isn’t entirely fair to keep comparing The Magpie Salute to The Black Crowes due to the large number of shared members, the fact is that the Crowes had not impressed me as much as The Magpie Salute’s debut album ‘High Water I’ did last year. Without his brother Chris, Rich Robinson was allowed to focus on what made his music so good in the first place: well-written songs and the inspired guitar interplay between him and Marc Ford. Add an exceptional singer in the shape of John Hogg and you’ve got recipe for success. ‘High Water II’ is no different.

Musically, ‘High Water II’ does appear to be a little more direct than its predecessor. The latter day Led Zeppelin-isms of ‘High Water’ and the slightly psychedelic touches have mostly been sacrificed in favor of a selection of tightly composed southern rock, southern soul and americana songs that are big on melodic hooks and spontaneity. Though I am not familiar with the recording process, it does look like it has been recorded with the entire band in one room again. The recordings just have that feel. Especially in the way the musicians react to one another at times.

Despite its more direct approach, ‘High Water II’ failed to make the impression the first part did when I listened to it the first time. A couple of spins in, it is hard to define why, as there is plenty to like on here for anyone who enjoyed the debut. Fans of the soulful rockers will be delighted by the likes of ‘Doesn’t Really Matter’, ‘Leave It All Behind’, the horn-heavy ‘In Here’ and ‘Turn It Around’, while the more americana-oriented part of the audience will certainly be enamored by the Marc Ford-sung tracks ‘Lost Boy’ and ‘Life Is A Landslide’. The semi-epic ‘Mother Storm’ marries the two sides quite perfectly.

As a whole, ‘High Water II’ has a very pleasant flow, because its consistently energetic, high-quality playing and writing does not let up. There are slightly less obvious highlights this time around, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t around. Closing track ‘Where Is This Place’ is a masterpiece in the way it combines the compositorical elements of country blues with the electrified grooves of late sixties and early seventies soul. The Stonesy grit of ‘Gimme Something’ accounts for a driving, powerful song, while ‘Sooner Or Later’ definitely is the most Crowes-like song on the record and therefore a perfect choice to open the record.

I’ve said it before, but I will say it again: without Chris Robinson’s insistent hippie mysticism, Rich Robinson’s songs come across much better these days. There don’t appear to be any ego’s in The Magpie Salute: everyone just seems to want what is best for the song. While it is easy to transform these types of songs into a vehicle for overlong soloing, the band keeps its records concise, memorable and highly inspired. While I still think ‘High Water I’ has a slight edge over this new album, it is basically as close as it can possibly get and quite likely is more consistent as a whole.

Recommended tracks: ‘Where Is This Place’, ‘Mother Storm’, ‘Gimme Something’