Customer Reviews

The Bridge

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tight, polished, and diverse, this album - the most recent self-titled release by the Bridge - seamlessly traverses genres ranging from folk, bluegrass, rock, and even a bit of funk. The journey begins from the very first notes of the snappy "Get Back Up," and continues along into the rich, soulful melody of "Angelina." Along the way one cannot help but get hooked by the catchy rhythm of "Easy Jane," the gorgeous "Further to Roam," and the urban bluesiness of "The Ballad of Clear Rock." The album finishes on an upbeat note with the rousing "Brother Don't."

If there is anything missing from this album it is the Bridge's capacity to jam out and improvise - an element that is impossible to capture on a studio album. For that you will need to find yourself a live version of their monumental jam vehicle "Jomotion" or the delightful, ever-evolving "Good Rhythm," two songs that are never quite played the same way twice. Or better yet, go see them live, which is becoming increasingly easy to do as they embark on steadily growing tours across the country.

The Bridge's sound and influences have been discussed elsewhere so I won't go into much detail, but suffice to say they range from the Grateful Dead to the Meters, with hints of Little Feat, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Los Lobos. Cris Jacobs' powerful voice and astonishing guitar playing stand out on many of the tracks on this album, and Kenny Liner's diversity as both a mandolinist and beat-boxer must be heard to be truly appreciated.

There is much more to be said about the Bridge, their style and influences, and the individual members (each extremely talented in their own right). But there also comes a point when words cease to suffice and one must look to their inner muse to truly understand. The beauty of this album is that in 12 tracks one is afforded the opportunity to do just that, to start themselves on a journey alongside a band that is destined for greatness.

If you liked Little Feat, early Steely Dan, soulful rock music, go and buy this cd. It is some of the best rock I have heard in a long time. Tight but flowing, smart but cool, well played but comforting. Hope they keep on going with this same attitude...

I heard these guys live on XM radio (Starbucks XM Cafe, channel 45) and they were awesome. Each song sounds totally different from the last and every single one of them rocks. If you have an eclectic taste for all different types of music like my house does, you will absolutely love these guys. Blues without being too blue, funky, their folk background shows through excellent lyrics, amazing mandolin and guitar playing with enough bluegrass to keep your heart pumping. They are going to go far, for sure!

This self-titled CD is the first from the Baltimore, MD group who started out as bluegrass and turned into something entirely different when they decided to add a beat box for percussion. Probably roots is the best description for this group, but it's not a complete one for this bluesy, funky, jazzy sound.

What's great about this freshman effort is you get 12 solid songs with a good runtime. My current favorites are "Get Back Up," "Easy Jane," and "Angelina."

Rebecca Kyle, July 2008

This disk is solid from start to finish with a nice blend of funk and rhythm that will stick with you. I can't wait for their next project.

This album is solid through and through, time and time again. There are two absolute gems on it in Angelina, which conjurs up one of the most easy going sounds I've ever heard, and Chains, which shows the true energy (and synergy) of this band. Definitely recommend it to anyone who likes their music served like a hot bowl of gumbo.

I first heard about The Bridge when a friend caught an opening set of them at an Umphrey's McGee show at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore in early 2006. That summer, without realizing what I was getting myself into (more on that later), I saw a little thing on The Bridge and an upcoming series of their shows at a cozy Baltimore venue called The 8x10, and decided to check it out.

Long story short: I saw them 4 more times over the next 7 weeks, and have since been to 14 more Bridge shows (for a total of 19 shows). They have become far and away my favorite band, and this CD is a perfect studio introduction to their music. That said, no CD can compare to their live music. The Bridge has developed a rabid following in Baltimore (their home) and has, over the past few years, grown to where they are very near breaking through, big time. Their music is 100% worthy of their name - they are known for "bridging" various genres as diverse as soul, bluegrass, jazz, rock n' roll (of course), and even some almost livetronica-sounding jams (at their live shows). Their shows regularly feature a few covers; in the time I've been following them they've covered acts such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Little Feat, Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Van Morrison, James Brown, The Talking Heads, Ray LaMontagne, Traffic, Sublime, and even played Crazy Train at one of their shows a couple years ago.

Cris Jacobs, Kenny Liner, Dave Markowitz, Patrick Rainey, and Mike Gambone. Remember those names, and most importantly buy this CD and get out to a Bridge show (thebridgemusic dot com for the schedule). It won't be long before those of us seeing them now can brag to the rest of the world we knew The Bridge and their music long before they started selling out huge venues and headlining festivals worldwide.

I love this record, period. These guys get it!! They clearly listened to the right things growing up and used their influnces to create a very unique and complete recording. The song selection is great, the recording is very well done and they are players. Like "The Band", they are the sum of the parts. No one individual will jump out as "its all about them". Instead, each player knows his part and his responcibility to the collaboration, and the sum of the parts makes for a great band and a great CD....5 stars!

I love the song "Bad Locomotive" and it is the whole reason I bought the album. I never really got into the rest of the songs.....but I thing this is a very talented band.

Time after time, when a song comes up on random in my library and I think 'Wow, who is this?', it's The Bridge. I highly recommend this and their previous CD, also called The Bridge (it's blue and has white people standing on it). I can't say that I would recommend their newest one (third), however, as it has a distinctly more country sound than I like. They have a folk/rock kind of jive, but I think they sound very much like some of the slower stuff from popular southern rock bands, and then there's always The Ballad of Clear Rock to throw you a curveball.