The Georgia Thunderbolt's 'Rise Above It All' - Album Review

The UK has always had a great relationship with the southern rock genre. Whilst we do not produce it ourselves, and I am generally of the belief that southern rock bands need to come from America to truly be classed as such, many of the big hitters of the genre both old and new have often found plenty of support here, as well as in some other parts of Europe - particularly Germany. One of the best southern rock live albums of all time, Blackfoot's Highway Song Live from 1982, was recorded here in the UK - whilst bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet from the glory days of the genre have remained regular visitors to these shores. The UK has also embraced some of the genre's new stars, too, with both Black Stone Cherry and Blackberry Smoke, probably the two biggest newer southern rock bands, being very popular here. Black Stone Cherry's fusion of the heavier end of southern rock with a modern post-grunge sounds has brought the swagger of the south to younger audiences - whilst Blackberry Smoke's more laid back and country-tinged approach has kept the older southern rockers satisfied. The perhaps somewhat more sophisticated and virtuosic Robert Jon & The Wreck have also started to make waves here in the UK - with the California-based five-piece being embraced by southern rock fans of all persuasions up and down the country. Another band which received some attention here in the UK a few years ago was the Georgia-based five-piece The Georgia Thunderbolts. Sadly the band are yet to play live here, although they have done a few gigs in Europe previously, but their debut album Can We Get a Witness (which I reviewed here) received quite a lot of positive press when it dropped in 2021. It followed a digital-only self-titled EP (which I also reviewed here) the previous year, which acted as a taster for the full album to come and launched the band properly internationally on Mascot Records. The band did release an album themselves prior to their international releases, but it seems to have been a small scale effort - and does not seem to formally 'count' as an album, perhaps being something of a glorified demo. I spent quite a bit of time with Can We Get a Witness when it came out in 2021 and I liked the fact that the band felt like a genuinely old-school southern rock act without their sound being too diluted by other influences. It was a refreshing listen, then, and three years on the band have returned with their second album Rise Above It All - which continues on nicely from where Can We Get a Witness left off. Sound-wise, the overall formula here is very similar. The Georgia Thunderbolts have honed their southern rock sound nicely, with a mix of tougher hard rockers and more laid back pieces creating a dynamic album which really seems to fly by despite containing 13 songs. Nothing seems to outstay its welcome, whilst a couple of interesting covers add to the variety - as was also the case on the previous album. Like last time, the album was produced by manager Richard Young and David Barrick - whilst two members of mentors Black Stone Cherry, whom The Georgia Thunderbolts have toured with a few times, also contribute to a couple of songs.

In fact, the songs to feature contributions from Black Stone Cherry members are the first two here - with Black Stone Cherry frontman Chris Robertson adding some additional guitar to opening cut Gonna Shine. The track is a pretty laid back mid-paced southern rocker, which is not too dissimilar from the core sound of bands like Blackberry Smoke. It is not as country-tinged as that band, but the overall vibe is similar - and, despite some of the album rocking harder, I quite like how the band open things up with something which is so overtly southern. Frontman T.J. Lyle, who also adds a lot of keyboards to the album, has the perfect voice for this kind of sound, with his soulful side probably the closest in spirit to the late Ronnie Van Zant than anyone else in the southern rock world today, whilst the the guitar duo of Riley Couzzourt and Logan Tolbert really get what the genre requires when it comes a strong mix of blues-based riffing, country-esque leads, and bluegrass fills. Despite the song settling into a simple mid-paced groove from the off, the guitar playing throughout is busier than it appears - and there is often a lot going on behind Lyle's crooning vocal delivery, with a chorus that features plenty of subtle vocal harmonies as well as some stuttering riffing which adds a little edge to the overall smoothness. This vibe continues on through Rock and Roll Record, which Black Stone Cherry drummer John Fred Young did the string arrangement for, but the song takes a much darker path. It opens with Lyle playing the electric piano and singing in a rich manner - and the song actually reminds me quite a lot of Bad Company by the band of the same name. The piano drives the song in a similarly downbeat manner before exploding into a relatively epic chorus which retains the song's slow burn whilst adding plenty of guitar weight and the controlled roar of Lyle's vocal delivery. The darkness from the piano really helps the song to stand out, but the groove and weight stop it from sounding like a genuine ballad - with the piece instead being a real creeper, which later explodes into a bluesy, edgy guitar solo. It is not a song which grabbed me initially, especially as the second song here, but repeated listens have made it a real favourite. Those wanting the band to rock harder, and who may have been concerned by the more (relatively) laid back opening numbers, will be happy to find that the title track which follows is a real barn-burner. The main riff is simple and hard-hitting - and it is the sort of song that I can see the band opening their sets with going forward. The main riff sounds like a heavier and more southern take on something Jimi Hendrix might have written, whilst the punchy drums of Bristol Perry keep everything ticking. It is not an overly fast piece, but it has more urgency than the previous two songs - and the riff creates plenty of energy whilst the later chorus is easy to latch onto thanks to Lyle's vocal hooks. It is another standout piece for me and it showcases the band's tougher side nicely.

Moonlight Play reins the heaviness back in and returns to the more laid back side which the band showcased during the opening couple of numbers - albeit in a much more pronounced way. Lots of southern rock is actually pretty laid back and this song mixes slow-building verses with clean guitar melodies and a simple piano backing with heavier verses that roar out of the blocks with washes of Hammond organ and some tougher riffing. The way that the song builds as it moves along, though, gives it something of a more expansive sound. It is one of those songs that just feels much wider than others - and there is a cinematic feel thanks to the depth of the arrangement and a mix which balances all of the instruments nicely. Lyle taps into that sound during the chorus, which sees him pushing things vocally somewhat, whilst the aforementioned organ adds a lot of depth. Another explosive guitar solo later takes the song to the next level. Up next is a cover of Frankie Miller's Ain't Got No Money. The band included a strong version of Be Good to Yourself, which Miller recorded a version of, on the last album - so the return to some boogie here is welcome. The piano-led strut sits nicely on the album, with the mix of British blues and southern rock groove helps the song to add some movement to the album. Zach Everett's walking bassline keeps the song grooving, whilst the interplay between the guitars and the piano adds the boogie. Throw in an excellent slide guitar solo, too, and the song is a no-nonsense bit of fun that continues the trend of strong covers from the band. Wait slows the pace down, with some acoustic guitars setting a floatier feel early on - whilst Kurt Ozan adds some aching pedal steel melodies. Much of the band's sound is laid back, even when they are rocking, so the acoustic guitars here do not come as a surprise. Even so, though, this song feels like the lightest touch on the album so far - even with the rhythm section adding a grounding drum and bass pattern to hold everything together. The pedal steel provides the main musical interest behind Lyle's heartfelt vocals and it adds a lot of depth - particularly during the hooky chorus. It feels like a glorified campfire song but it sits nicely on the album. Sticking with the acoustic guitars, Crawling My Way Back to You opens very slowly - with Lyle singing against a sole strummed guitar. It does build up and expand as it moves along, but overall it is another pretty stripped back piece. Perry soon adds some roomy, percussive drumming to the song, giving an organic stomp to the bluesy ballad, whilst some rough guitar leads add to the distant chords. It is one of those songs that has been recorded in a such a way to make it sound old. It generally works, but Lyle's vocals sound a little too polished compared to everything else. A more ragged vocal performance would have perhaps worked better - but the short and organic piece is still a decent effort.

She's Gonna Get It returns to a much heavier sound, and it is only the second song here which really seems to cut loose. The main riff hits pretty hard as it kicks in, particularly given the previous two slower songs, whilst the song overall is a hard-driving, yet mid-paced, rocker which includes plenty of groove and lots of excellent riffing. The guitar interplay returns to many of the classic southern rock tropes of busy fills and off-kilter rhythms clashing together - whilst the later solo is busy and one of the most explosive guitar moments on the album. There are rawer moments during the song, too, such a moment which sees the guitars drop away to leave Everett's bass to take the lead, but generally the song powers forward as a hard rocker - with another strong chorus that is likely to get stuck in the brain. It is a very short song, too, so it gets in and gets out after providing a little injection of pace. Little Jim returns to the album's core sound after the harder rocking previous track - and it goes for a much groovier and creeping approach overall. It is another mid-paced track, but it mixes a laid back riff and punchy drum pattern with Lyle's storytelling vocal delivery - allowing it to sound a bit more expansive than some of the band's other cuts. Whilst not as overt as Crawling My Way Back to You, it is another song which feels like it has been made to sound on the older side. It is a proper rocker, though, unlike the ballad which pulled this trick before, but the mix feels like it has deliberately aged the piece. The guitars fall away in the mix at times, which gives the riff more of a bluesy feel than a hard rock feel - and it is very vocal-centric thanks to the story which the lyrics tell. The approach works but it does feel noticeably different to the hard rock of the previous song - and I do wonder if turning things up a little more would have made the song hit even harder. Up next is a cover of Ron Davies' It Ain't Easy - the most famous version of which is likely David Bowie's 1972 rendition featured on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I have not heard the original version, but this take is pretty different from Bowie's rendition - and the song has been turned into a real southern rocker with gospel-inspired backing vocals during the chorus from Sandra Dye and Bianca Byrd. The song is short, as it was on Bowie's album, so it comes and goes pretty quickly - but I like the big sound it creates with the chorus vocal harmonies and the strutting riffing adapts nicely to the southern rock world.

Stand Up very much then returns to the band's core sound, with Everett's bass opening things up - before the song soon settles back into a mid-paced groove. Unlike Little Jim, though, the song feels much more up-to-date in terms of the overall mix - and it reminds me much more of the songs which opened up the album. The main riff is pretty infectious, after the bass teases it early on, whilst the groovy verses showcase what a great singer Lyle is. He may be one of the best singers in the modern southern rock genre, as his voice has a great balance of grit and soul. He lets rip a little more during the chorus here, which is powerful and includes some subtle call-and-response vocal harmonies, whilst guitar fans will enjoy the multiple guitar solos featured - which give the song a more hard-hitting feel even though it remains pretty groovy and mid-paced overall. It is a powerful piece and late-album highlight in my opinion - and one of those songs which takes a few listens to sink in. Another late highlight for me is the busier Whiskey Talkin', which takes a country-inspired main riff and cranks up the distortion on the guitar to ensure that the track packs a punch. The main riff is very much Lynyrd Skynyrd inspired in my opinion, but the rest of the song feels like a collection of many classic southern rock tropes. For a southern rock album there has not been a lot of slide guitar utilised, but there are slide motifs utilised here to create depth, whilst punch is added thanks to a raw and roomy drum sound. The chorus is boosted by the aforementioned slide hooks, and it is another memorable moment, whilst the guitar solo is surprisingly slow-burning given the song's kick. A busier guitar solo may have worked better, but the song remains an overall strong effort. The album then comes to a close with the heavier Pricetag - a piece which opens with a hard-hitting main riff and feels much more overtly classic rock in nature. There is perhaps less of the band's trademark southern strut here, despite the chorus laying into a groove in a somewhat more prominent manner than the rest of the track, with the verses feeling a bit more British hard rock than American southern rock. The heavier feel is welcome, though, as the band rarely really cut loose to go for a barrelling hard rock sound. A couple more heavier songs would have been welcome here I think, but Pricetag is effective in giving the album a final kick before it comes to a close. The guitar solo is very short, though, and I do feel that the band should have really cut loose here with some screaming leads. A lengthy guitar solo would have really capped the album off nicely, but as it stands the riffier piece still injects some energy into the album's closing moments - it just could have been better I think, particularly given that genuine hard rocking moments are in the minority here. Overall, though, I have been enjoying Rise Above It All quite a lot over the past week or so since it dropped. I think a couple more big rockers would have worked well in place of maybe one of the acoustic pieces and perhaps one of the covers (as good as both are) to balance things out more - but the band are clearly not out and out hard rockers, so the current balance is understandable. Despite this, though, The Georgia Thunderbolts are emerging as one of the most exciting southern rock bands of recent times - and Rise Above It All sits nicely alongside their previous album as enjoyable examples of the genre. Hopefully we will see the band in the UK in the near future and I am looking forward to where they go from here.

The album was released on 23rd August 2024 via Mascot Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Stand Up.