Customer Reviews

Blind Man's Hill

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Bridge have been my favorite band since I first saw them during the summer of 2006. This is technically their 4th studio album, although only their second to be released on Hyena Records.

To keep things short - this has easily been my most-played CD since it came out about a month ago. Hardcore Bridge fans will notice the absence of Kenny Liner's famous beatboxing here, but, in my opinion, that's a good thing - it makes the CD feel a bit more "grown up," and I never thought the on-album beatboxing sounded great anyway (live, it's a different story). Those new to The Bridge (I've now purchased 4 copies to give to people!) will draw comparisons to various influences - Little Feat, Van Morrison, The Grateful Dead, and many more - but will find it hard to put this album in any one definitive category. True to their name, The Bridge has managed to fuse funk (Honey Bee), bluegrass (In Dreams), blues (Devil On Me), jazz (everywhere, really), and, of course, good old rock n' roll (Poison Wine). They even show their quieter side with the beautiful "Lasting Hymn," where guitarist and lead vocalist Cris Jacobs shows off his incredible voice and brings the album to a fitting close.

In short, this album rocks. Buy it for yourself - once you are hooked, buy it for your friends. And definitely get out to see The Bridge live at least once (you'll love them, plus have a great story to tell when these guys are HUGE).

Sometime after college, my taste in music started drifting away from rock. Part of it was that I started getting more into jazz, folk, bluegrass etc, and part of it is that rock started moving away from me. I just can't get into what the college kids are listening to these days. It has been a long time since a new rock band has impressed me this much. After hearing some buzz, I picked up The Bridge's self-titled first album, and I liked it. It had a nice mix of styles ranging from roots-rock to country to funk, and they didn't do the kind of self-indulgent nonsense that plagues some of the lesser jam bands (you know who I mean). I decided to keep an eye on them. However, that didn't prepare me for just how good this album is. Every musician in the band plays perfectly without overplaying. The solos are interesting without being self-indulgent. The feel is loose, but not sloppy. The vocals are appropriately gruff but neither affected nor distracting. Everything just works, and fits together into a perfectly cohesive *album*, the art of which seems to have disappeared long ago.

There is an understandable tendency to compare The Bridge to Little Feat, and there is a connection, but these guys truly have their own sound that is immediately identifiable, but somehow feels familiar. I would say that they sound more like what would happen if Randall Bramblett started incorporating subtle hints of bluegrass and played more upbeat music, or maybe more like a somewhat countrified Black Crowes (think Amorica). Perhaps if the old Col. Bruce Hampton Aquarium Rescue Unit line-up stepped away from the free-jazz, they would have played like this. Maybe they sound like a more aggressive and eclectic Assembly of Dust with a more gruff singer. I am struggling for analogies, though, because these guys really are distinctive, and play with the perfect combination of loose and tight that roots-based rock bands used to have. I just never expected the album to be this good.

Further listening: Eric Lindell, Mofro, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Randall Bramblett.

I saw The Bridge for the first time in November 2008 and immediately purchased both studio albums (Blind Man's Hill and self-titled). Every track on this album is solid, with excellent vocals and lyrics. I listen through the album track-by-track without feeling the need to skip to the next song.

The Bridge represents what a band should be. A group of individually talented musicians with unique skills coming together to produce a sum greater than the parts. The fact that they have announced their break-up due to economic conditions is a tragedy. They embody what Rock-n-Roll should be - a unique blend of genres and styles that produces a sound that demands to be heard. These guys can't be shoehorned into a single genre like Big Corporate Muzak insists on doing. The Bridge has proudly maintained their independence and the music world is better off for it. If you like great, unfiltered, original music - please give The Bridge a listen.

Happy w/item condition- as promised, super great find, love the album, shipping time was on point. Thanks!!!

I first saw this band at the Elysian Fields festival last June. They made everyone forget about the recent thunderstorm and the ankle deep mud they were standing in. This is the only album i have heard but i can highly recommend this band to anyone who likes a bit of bluegrass with great guitars and vocals.