This review was published in the July 2025 issue of Classic Rock magazine, no. 342.
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Stank faces at the ready please, people…
Formed in 1994 as an outlet for then-fifteen-year-old slide guitar prodigy Derek Trucks, his namesake band has always rejoiced in a melting pot of influences, merging Southern Rock, Blues, Jazz and RnB. The happy result is a darkly melodic, swampy groove pinned down by Trucks’ now-legendary slide prowess. Three years after their formation came eponymous debut The Derek Trucks Band (1997) followed swiftly by sophomore offering Out of the Madness (1998). Neither are strong departures from Joyful Noise (2002); they sank into their vibe and drove it home.
The core lineup is comprised of Trucks, Yonrico Scott (drums, vocals, percussion), Kofi Burbridge (flute, vocals, keyboards) and Todd Smallie (bass, vocals), but additional vocalists are drafted in throughout. Enter Susan Tedeschi: astonishing singer, guitarist and the other half of the Tedeschi/Trucks blues rock power couple, who lends her raw, hearty edge to Baby, You’re Right; Rahat Nusrat and Fateh Ali Khan bring Modal Eastern influence on Maki Machi, which sits alongside Panamanian singer Rubén Blades’ contribution to Latin American Funk masterpiece Kam-Ma-Lay.
This time round, Noise is complemented by Backyard Tracks, a deliciously groovy live set recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2006. Did you know that a flute can be funky? Well, turns out it pairs well with the shuffle on I Wish I Knew and provides a call and response to Trucks’ grade A noodling on All I Do.
We were never in for anything different, but if it ain’t broke…the solos are blistering, vocals soulful and vibes immaculate.
7/10
Phoebe Flys