Sunday, October 28, 2007
A+E, Music, Reviews

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals

“Lifeline” (Virgin)

BEN HARPER AND THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS

Recording live to tape and mixing an album in seven days on analog equipment would be a daunting task for most bands. But for Ben Harper and his journeyman crew of Innocent Criminals (no Pro Tools for this outfit), it’s just another week of work.

There aren’t many surprises on these 11 tracks, but the warmth and camaraderie of Harper and his merry men shines through every one of the album’s 40 minutes. The songs nestle in a laid-back niche between folk, pop, R&B, country, gospel and Southern rock as Harper, whose sandpaper soul voice sounds remarkably similar to Chris Robinson’s throughout, slings out a jaunty set of roots music with effortless grace.

There is a scent of “Tupelo Honey”-era Van Morrison and “Music From Big Pink”/Band atmospherics at work on “Lifeline,” not just in the material, but in the burnished sound of the decisively non-digital recording. Although the last two solo acoustic tracks float away into the ether—the Criminals must have been on parole that day—the rest generally slip into Harper’s comfy old-school vibe that is alive and well.

Harper doesn’t force anything, and the relaxed, dusky, yet righteous, air that seeps through the cracks lets this music breathe, sigh and groove like the ’70s albums that have obviously inspired him. Grab a bottle of red wine, nestle with your significant other next to a crackling fire, and let Harper take care of the rest. THREE STARS—Hal Horowitz