The Georgia Thunderbolts' 'Can We Get a Witness' - Album Review

Discovering a new southern rock band is always a real treat. The genre has often been popular here in the UK, which is strange considering that we do not really make it ourselves, with its representatives old and new regularly visiting the country. Black Stone Cherry have recently completed a lengthy UK tour, playing to big crowds wherever they went, while bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, and Blackberry Smoke are also regular visitors to these shores. A band that I hope will join them soon is The Georgia Thunderbolts, a young southern rock band that caught my attention last year with the release of their digital-only self-titled EP (which I reviewed here). Hailing from Rome, Georgia, the five-piece's EP was picked up by a few of the rock publications over here, and it was pushed quite heavily at the time. I enjoyed the EP a lot when it was released last year, and it was great hearing a new southern rock band that did not go all out for a heavy sound, nor rely too heavily on a number of country tropes. Newer southern rock is often either very riff-based and heavy (e.g. Black Stone Cherry) or significantly influenced by modern country (e.g. Blackberry Smoke); so it was great to hear a new southern rock band sounding rather old-school. It is lazy journalism to compare a southern rock band to Lynyrd Skynyrd, but for me The Georgia Thunderbolts genuinely channel a lot of the Jacksonville-based band in their songs. They can rock out when they want to, but they also have a bluesy groove in their songs - with frontman T.J. Lyle's laid back vocal style being similar to that of the late Ronnie Van Zant. Since releasing the EP, the band have been out on tour throughout America and have played a lot of shows with Black Stone Cherry. I believe that Black Stone Cherry have somewhat mentored the young band, and Richard Young (father of Black Stone Cherry's John Fred Young) is their manager. It is great to see Black Stone Cherry helping the next generation of southern rock; and I hope that they will bring The Georgia Thunderbolts to the UK with them next time they tour. In the meantime, however, there is still cause for celebration as last month the band released their debut album Can We Get a Witness. A look online, however, shows that the band actually released an album called Southern Rock from Rome in 2019, but this album looks to have only been locally released and as such is not available elsewhere. Can We Get a Witness, then, is technically the band's second album, but considering that most people will probably never hear Southern Rock from Rome it seems that the band is treating Cane We Get a Witness as their debut - especially as it has been released globally via Mascot Records. A number of the songs from Southern Rock from Rome have also been re-recorded for Can We Get a Witness - so in a way the new album (along with the self-titled EP) is a re-launch for the band. All five songs from the EP are present again here, meaning that the digital-only release was a teaser for what was to come.

The album consists of 13 songs: five of which were released last year; six of which are new originals; and two of which are covers. The album opens with one of the six new tracks, and the raw bluesy rock of Take It Slow perfectly introduces everything that The Georgia Thunderbolts are about in one package. The boogie-based riffing from guitarists Riley Couzzourt and Logan Tolbert kicks the album off in fine fashion, with some occasional bursts of harmonica from Lyle adding depth. There are songs here that are deeper, but as a slab of old-fashioned southern rock Take It Slow opens the album nicely. It has a great groove throughout, a punchy chorus that showcases Lyle's impressive vocal range, and a short guitar solo that is a sign of things to come. It is a catchy, bluesy track that is packed full of attitude - something which there is plenty more of to come. The next four songs are all culled from last year's EP, and the riffy Lend a Hand kicks the suite off. The song was the heaviest thing on the EP, and it is also one of heaviest things here. The Black Stone Cherry sound has rubbed off on the band somewhat; as the riffing throughout the song is less bluesy and more in-your-face - although there is plenty of excellent bass playing throughout from Zach Everett. His playing throughout the verses is impressive, and filled with snaking grooves; while the choruses are much heavier overall and backed by some screaming guitar leads. The guitar playing throughout the whole track is pretty fiery, however, which shows nicely what both Couzzourt and Tolbert can do. So You Wanna Change the World is very Lynyrd Skynyrd-influenced, particularly the more laid back side of the legendary band. The opening guitar lead brings to mind The Ballad of Curtis Loew somewhat; while Lyle's effortless vocal performance is one of the most Van Zant-esque efforts that I can recall. The song overall is relatively gentle, but it never really feels like a ballad. Young and David Barrick's raw production ensures that even the album's quieter moments have some bite to them, with the organic drum sound always adding weight. Bristol Perry's drumming keeps the song moving nicely; even though there are sections where he does not play; and the guitar solo attacks the track to add further bite. Looking for an Old Friend is also quite laid back, but there is a bit more energy throughout thanks to a jaunty country rock vibe. There is a lot of acoustic guitar in the mix, but the standout element of the song for me is the excellent slide guitar playing. The slide is pretty much ever-present throughout the piece, and its aching melodies add some blues depth to the country rock vibes - all of which forms a great bed for Lyle's warm vocals, especially during the catchy chorus.

Spirit of a Workin' Man is the last of the EP tracks, for now at least, and it returns to the more riff-heavy rock sound that opened the album. That being said, however, the song is surprisingly atmospheric - with verses built around some hypnotic guitar lines that are backed by some subtle Hammond organ. The song's intro and choruses are relatively hard rocking, so the contrast between the two approaches works nicely - and shows off the band's composition and arrangement skills. Some southern rock can be a bit leaden and lacking in any dynamics, but The Georgia Thunderbolts have already demonstrated that they have the talent to craft interesting songs - while remaining true to the southern rock sound. Spirit of a Workin' Man is one of the album's most interesting cuts from an arrangement perspective as a result of this mix of sounds; and it is a real highlight. The album's two covers follow, with a rendition of The Allman Brothers Band's Midnight Rider up first. Midnight Rider is a pretty generic choice for a southern rock band to cover; but I like what The Georgia Thunderbolts have done with it. Their version is much heavier than the original, with the acoustic guitars replaced with electric equivalents and a much stronger drum presence throughout. Lyle does justice to the song vocally, but perhaps the best part of this cover is the closing instrumental section that ups the heaviness and introduces a scorching, bluesy guitar solo. Be Good to Yourself, written by Free's Andy Fraser and later made famous by Frankie Miller, is a much more interesting choice for a cover, however, and the song's boogie rock vibes were made for a southern rock band to make the most of. I like the song a lot, and The Georgia Thunderbolt's version is excellent. It feels ever so slightly slower than the classic version, but the band's weighty riffing really makes it tick - and Lyle allows his voice to take on a grittier vibe throughout. Subtle piano also adds extra bounce to the song, which helps the track to be another overall highlight. The next five songs are all new cuts, with the very bluesy Half Glass Woman coming next. The song is one of the album's rawest, with plenty of room for Lyle's harmonica - which provides the main instrumental hook early on. The guitars and drums really crash throughout the song, which contributes to its raw sound, and the piece feels like a true blues throwback - akin to something that could have been found on the first album from The Allman Brothers Band. Dancin' With the Devil is more typical of the band's core sound however, with a subtle picked guitar line driving everything. Lyle and Everett are responsible for most of the album's keyboards, but this song features organ throughout from Paul Hatchett. His playing is quite prominent throughout the track, but the organ never takes anything away from the guitars - which still dominate. There is another great guitar solo here too, which helps to elevate the song further.

Can I Get a Witness follows and, along with Lend a Hand, it is one of the album's heaviest tracks. The main riff really packs a punch, and the relatively slow pace of the song only makes the strutting groove feel heavier. This is not purely a riff-fest however, as there is quite a lot going on throughout the song. Parts of the track are relatively atmospheric, with a strong keyboard backing, and Everett again gets to show off occasionally with some snaking bass lines. His playing really helps the song's grooves to stand out; which again only help to make the song sound heavier. There is a lot of groove in general throughout this album, but Can I Get a Witness might be the truest southern rock anthem here. I can imagine that the song works really well live; thanks to the big headbanging riffs and Lyle's screaming vocals; and the chorus is one of the album's truly anthemic moments. Walk Tall Man retains the groove of the previous song, but reins in the heaviness a little. The song still rocks, but there is more of an organic sound present throughout. This allows the pace to be upped somewhat, and the song has a bit more energy than is typical for the album. Perry's drumming creates a bit of a shuffling groove throughout; and it is this shuffle that keeps the song ticking. There are more memorable songs here, but the energy whipped up during the track is infectious - which helps it to stand out. It's Alright is a catchy song, which the band recently released as a single. It is quite a middle-of-the-road song sound-wise, but its bouncy riffs and catchy chorus makes it enjoyable. Again, there are better songs on the album - but as a laid back groovy rocker the song fulfils its brief. There are not many poppy moments on the album either, but It's Alright's chorus is one of them. Lyle's voice effortlessly carries the hooky melodies, while a jaunty guitar solo only adds to the track's pop sheen. It is a fun little song, and adds a light-hearted touch to the album. The album comes to a close with the relatively lengthy Set Me Free, which also closed last year's EP. The song feels like a restrained version of the trademark southern rock trope of having a long song with an epic closing guitar solo (Free Bird, Highway Song, Green Grass and High Tides, etc.); but cut down to fit with The Georgia Thunderbolt's relatively no-nonsense sound. It is the closest thing on the album to ballad too, which is typical of the song type, with gentle guitar picking dominating early on - as well as a strong organ presence to add depth. As expected, there is plenty of great lead guitar throughout. There is a lengthy, bluesy solo after the second chorus; while the song's closing moments also feature some extended soloing. The song never lets rip in Free Bird-esque fashion however. There is no five minute guitar solo here, but the closing section is still packed full of great playing - as well some vocal ad libs. It is a great album closer, and it really helps to bring all of the elements of album's core sound together. For a young band, Can We Get a Witness is a very well put together and intelligent southern rock album that is true to the genre without feeling like a poor imitation. The Georgia Thunderbolts are a band that have the potential to do big things in the southern rock world; and I hope that this album is just the start as I would love to hear more from them going forward.

The album was released on 15th October 2021 via Mascot Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Take It Slow.