Review: Beth Hart – You Still Got Me
Provogue / Mascot Label Group (October 25th 2024)
Reviewer: Peter Scallan
Been a big fan of Beth Hart since ‘Better Than Home‘ and manged to catch her a few times in both Glasgow and London, including the Albert Hall gig for the live album release. Therefore, I have been looking forward in anticipation to this one.
From the get-go this album has a slightly rockier feel, opening with ‘Savior With A Razor‘, featuring Slash. The song strangely also has a Tom Waits off the beaten track feel but is a great slab of blues rock but and Beth almost spitting the words out in the verses and then raising the roof for the choruses. ‘Suga N My Bowl‘ also has guest guitarist in the shape of the fabulous Eric Gales. The opening reminds me of Free before settling into a dirty funky groove, with a chorus in which Beth implores for some help to get some sugar in her bowl. I once had a neighbour who constantly borrowed milk and sugar, but I don’t think that is what Beth is looking for here! Next up is ‘Never Estimate a Gal‘. Now if the opening track had a Tom Waits feel, this is very Tom Waits at his most playful and irreverent. This is a piano driven song bouncing along a beat with Beth part narrating and part singing and completely different from the rocking of the previous tracks. Some glorious jazz-infused piano opens ‘Drunk on Valentine‘ accompanied by strings and a muted trumpet. This is the first song that sounds like classic Hart and just lazes through wonderfully. ‘Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash‘ opens with a Cash 50s style geetar opening and is pure rock’n’roll with lots of 50s references including Elvis and James Dean.
‘Wonderful World‘ is tack six of eleven and takes the vibe down with the acoustic guitar opening and intro before picking up the pace and introducing an edge for the chorus. This has more of a country rock feel as opposed to a blues groove but is nonetheless another indication of the variety of grooves on offer. We return to some slower blues with ‘Little Heartbreak Girl‘. Opening on a half-time beat it drops into a lilting piano verse before picking up the bluesy chorus. ‘Don’t Call The Police‘ has a harder edged blues opening before moving into light piano and vocal part and then rocking out at the chorus which has an equally hard-edged melody. The title track of the album, ‘You Still Got Me‘ is another classic Beth Hart vocal, piano slab of bluesy 50s/60s style pop rock with great arrangements for the accompanying music and backing vocals. We move back into a more jazzy grove for the opening of ‘Pimp Like That‘ and the opening bars before the band come crashing in and the uplifting chorus. The ultimate song on the album is starts with a piano and driving drums and Beth breathlessly narrating over the opening verse. It kicks up a stink briefly after the first chorus as the guitar picks up the thread and ends the album with Beth having the final word.
I must admit, that unlike other Beth Hart albums, this has been a slow grower on me. The first two songs possibly influenced my thinking as they were rockier than I would have expected from a Beth Hart album. However, having it on rotation it has all you would expect from a Beth Hart album and she has a little more to the rock side. If you like this gal already, then it is right up your street – if you haven’t heard her before, then I have got to ask, why the hell not? The rocker edge may just introduce her to a broader audience!
Tracklist:
1. Savior With A Razor ft. Slash
2. Suga N My Bowl ft. Eric Gales
3. Never Underestimate A Gal
4. Drunk on Valentine
5. Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash
6. Wonderful World
7. Little Heartbreak Girl,
8. Don’t Call The Police
9. You Still Got Me
10. Pimp Like That
11. Machine Gun Vibrato
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