Like an Arrow

Vinyl LP pressing. The songs on Blackberry Smoke's sixth album, Like an Arrow, show just how far this authentic American rock band has come as the accomplished group of musicians tackles a diverse set of new ideas, sounds and territories, long after most bands with half the success might have settled into a well-worn groove. "We're all likeminded in that we all want to explore," singer and principal songwriter Charlie Starr said. "There's just no way we could make the same record over and over again, though there are some fans who would like us to. That's just way too formulaic. If the Beatles or Led Zeppelin did that, we wouldn't love them as much." Like An Arrow continues the trend of sonic exploration established on the Blackberry Smoke's previous two releases, 2012's The Whippoorwill and 2015's chart-topping Holding All the Roses. It kicks off with the band's heaviest song to date and explores British rock before moving on to musical stops in places like Macon, Woodstock, Muscle Shoals and Tulsa as Starr and his buddies follow the ramblin' examples of timeless, authentic acts like The Allman Brothers Band, JJ Cale, The Band and others who define rock 'n' roll in all it's many facets.