Blues Traveler: Bridge

Bridge is Blues Traveler's first release since the untimely death of bassist Bobby Sheehan. Bridge brings back John Popper on vocals and harmonica, Ben Wilson on keyboards, Brendan Hill on drums, Chan Kinchla on guitar and Tad Kinchla on bass.\n"Back in the Day" starts with heavy bass sounds then moves into drums and keyboards, toning things down before Popper's vocals come in. The chorus of this song is energetic and catchy.\nThe second track, "Girl Inside My Head," is different from other Blues Traveler tracks. It seems more like a rock song at first, although once the chorus comes in, the good old traditional sound of the band comes back. \n"Rage" starts off with a hard introduction with heavy bass and drums. It plays out for a couple seconds before Popper chimes in sounding particularly sinister with his vocals. This track seems darker yet still cool with Popper's vocals harmonizing with background vocals to create a snazzy sound.\n"Just For Me" sounds like a classic Blues Traveler track and moves at a super-quick pace, similar to Barenaked Ladies' "One Week." Popper's vocal range and talents on the harmonica are evident here and emphasize Blues Traveler's trademark sounds.\nIn a track dedicated to Sheehan, "Pretty Angry" starts out with Popper clearing his throat before humming and crooning throughout the heavy keyboard introduction. From the beginning this track is filled with heart and emotion. When Popper begins singing the lyrics, the soul of the piece comes through clearly with Popper sounding mellower with less energy than normal.\nThe album's final track, "Decision of the Skies," nicely rounds out the album with an energetic yet toned-down sound. It becomes clear that the harmonica is truly an underused instrument in today's music scene.\nBridge should be considered a gift to fans and those who have not yet heard the bluesy sounds of Blues Traveler. The band also proves itself to be strong as it faces such a tragedy as the death of a member.