It's hard to place definitive labels on the debut album of the John Popper Project, since they take influences from classical and modern genres, but one thing's for sure — the side project of Blues Traveler's own John Popper is very impressive.
The group is comprised of slimmed-down soul man Popper on vocals and harmonica, fellow Blues Traveler Tad Kinchla on bass, Marcus Bleecker of the band Mosaic on drums and also features DJ Logic on the wheels of steel. On Let's Rock On, the Project delivers an all-out jam session spread out over 13 eclectic tracks.
Popper and Blues Traveler first found success in the '90s with hit singles like "Run Around" and "Hook." Since the charismatic frontman is the backbone of this band as well, listeners have reason to expect much of the same catchy songwriting. And while the tunes to most of the new songs are similar to prior material, the lyrics are a little more scandalous than before.
Blues Traveler has been gradually progressing to a more poppy sound, and they've been able to pull it off well. Popper's side project is no different. It combines the classic blues, jazz and funk from their earlier releases with newer pop and R&B dynamics. The diversity of sound can be attributed to the lineup, which combines jam veterans Popper and Kinchla with DJ Logic, who comes from a hip-hop background, although he has toured with jazzy jam-banders Medeski, Martin & Wood.
What was most surprising about this album is that not one track features any guitar. And what's even more surprising is that it doesn't matter. Don't get me wrong, I love Jimmy Hendrix as much as the next person, but John Popper's got me wondering: Is harmonica the new guitar?
The disc opens with Popper's trademark voice evoking a scene of sexual energy on the appropriately titled "Lapdance." When you think of harmonicas, you don't immediately think of a strip club, but this artfully done tune might make you reevaluate what is sexy. After "Lapdance" gets the listener all worked up, the bouncier, more light-hearted "Everything" takes it back down a level with great success, and the rest of the middle tracks are solid as well.
"In the Midst" proves how diverse and unique the group can be with an almost indescribable mixture of sounds. Aside from highly romantic lyrics like "In the midst of the dangers of hoping/ Something has ever been growing/ My heart was hers long ago," there are, as usual, awesome harmonic bridges from Popper, along with some very catchy rhythms and psychedelic treats here and there.
My own personal favorite, however, is "Louisiana Sky," a song about the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. The song opens up with DJ Logic rapping, then moves to a chorus sung by Popper. The group's catchy songwriting will have you repeating lyrics like "We struggle under Louisiana sky/ It's slim pickings but we take a slice of humble pie," in your sleep. The song has a great ending as well with the theme "Louisiana, let's rock on/ 9th ward, let's rock on," as the band continues naming off the hardest hit neighborhoods of New Orleans.
This new project re-illustrates the genius of John Popper, who has come a long way since he wrote the "Roseanne" theme song years ago. He is a truly talented, diverse artist, and he gets a chance to show off these traits on Let's Rock On.
In summarizing this album, the man himself does it best: "Whether you want to fuck to it, eat to it, drink to it or smoke to it, I think it meets all that criteria. It's good, cool, just fun music."
