VGRC

Released just at the end of August, Before the Frost/Until the Freeze is the latest effort from The Black Crowes. Hot on the heels of 2008's largely unnoticed gem Warpaint, Before the Frost continues the Crowes' ever expanding explorations into bluegrass and folk, while at the same time staying true to their blues-rock roots.

However, Before the Frost... (and its companion album, Until the Freeze) is a much more daring adventure: A double album full of all-new material recorded in front of a live audience at Levon Helm's barn studio. That's right, a live studio album. And the Crowes' pull it off with a rugged style shaped by their rocky 20 year career.

A staggering 20 tracks, Before the Frost showcases the Crowes at their finest, having come back from 2001's lackluster Lions and a lengthy haitus. Having dealt with more than their fare share of record label meddling, Before the Frost (much like its predecessor, Warpaint) has the Crowes turning up their noses to convention and doing things their own way.

Without the record label pressure to create another Shake Your Money Maker, the Crowes are finally free to experiment and cross genres, twisting their signature blues-rock sound through filters of folk and bluegrass and running amok with the resulting jams, with an almost Allman Brothers mentality.

"Good Morning Captain" sets the tone, forcefully breaking the album open with a band that is ready to put on a good show and overflowing with energy, while drawing influence from the 1970 Blues Image hit, "Ride Captain Ride." Meanwhile, "Make Glad" showcases an almost Phish-esque jam while tracks like "Last Place That Love Lives" and "Fork in the River" demonstrate their still in-tact soulful side.

It's a rough outing, however. But it's the rough marks that gives Before the Frost some character. Whether it be the almost out-of-place disco-esque "I Ain't Hiding" or Chris Robinson's aged voice, it's hard to take any issue with anything on the album. Some may be turned off on the glaring lack of studio post-production, but if anything it paints a better picture of what the band was trying to create. And the recording quality, despite being a live album, is top-notch, right up on the level of their Live at the Greek collaboration with Jimmy Page. And the actual performance is stellar, showcasing a grace and confidence that is rarely seen in some of today's music.

Of course, then there's moments like "Aimless Peacock," where the band is clearly just playing... and that's the thing. It's been a long 20 years for the band, and listening to them just jamming and having fun after all their major-label hardships makes it clear that they are at their best when they make music for themselves rather than for the labels.

The Crowes have come a long way since Shake Your Money Maker; no longer being the band that simply takes after its 70's-rock influences, but have forged and established their own musical identity. It's this maturity that makes Before the Frost/Until the Freeze stand out as one of their best albums yet.

- Buy Before the Frost from Amazon.com