Following an extensive hiatus of 15 years between studio records of new material (2009’s Before the Frost…Until the Freeze and 2024’s Happiness Bastards) The Black Crowes are back in 2026 with their 12th album, A Pound of Feathers. A quick turnaround after the Grammy nomination for Happiness Bastards, The Robinson Brothers, Chris and Rich dish out a new collection of Rock-n-Roll tunes filled with their signature swagger of overdriven Southern Rock riffs, thunderous drums, and groove-laden bass lines.
Set for release on March 13, 2026, the album was recorded in Nashville with Producer Jay Joyce (who previously teamed with them for Happiness Bastards). Exclusively written by Chris and Rich Robinson, the album was reportedly recorded in less than two weeks, resulting in a raw energy. With that in mind, long-time Black Crowes fans will eat up the sound and tone of this darker and heavier record. A total of eleven tracks, the single “Prophane Prophecy” opens with a Rich Robinson-driven guitar riff that harkens back to the Rolling Stones’ sound. A beautiful slide guitar glides on top of this track and helps fill in the spaces in between the driving drums and rhythmic feel, with Chris shouting ‘Pedigree of Debouchery’ being his claim to fame. All in all, the song sounds and feels like it could be on a Crowes album from any era.
Moving on, the companion single, “Pharmacy Chronicles,” showcases the more ballad-like acoustic side we all know and love from the Crowes. This song, live, will surely sway thanks to touring Drummer Cully Symington, filled with Chris’s always amazing lyrics, the song reflects on how we can all have fun but not look in the mirror, as we are all just as guilty as the people we criticize. Then “It’s Like That,” another pre-released track, hits hard with its great drums and distorted guitar opening. Offering a vintage Crowes feel, this song includes some great old-school call-and-response harmonies. Full of overdriven lead tones and a groovy, quick-passed bass line laid down by long-time Bassist Sven Pipien, it is yet again a highlight.
Another standout, “You Call This a Good Time,” features a really nice, heavy guitar intro that sets the song off. A pulsating bass line locks in the pocket, creating room for the guitars, which sound huge on this track. While Chris sings about there being too much drama on the dancefloor and that he will sit this one out, the song reflects that what is viewed as good for one can be a disaster for another. Filling out the song is a great lead guitar solo, saturated with creamy, overdriven pickups pushing an amplifier to its limits, and it will sound great on the upcoming world tour.
As we roll along with A Pound of Feathers, it really finds its pace with cuts like “Blood and Regrets.” With its catchy descending guitar lines and mean guitar tones, the song tackles issues such as chronic drug use and self-abuse. Chris says he has his bruises, his blood, and his regrets. Again, possessing a real vintage Crowes sound, with a beautiful touch of a Mandolin played towards the end of the song. Leaving you only with the finale, “Doomsday Doggerel,” which comes at you with an almost Rockabilly vibe. A slightly psychedelic and spacey piece, we hear Chris singing stanzas such as ‘Mouth full of swagger, Room full of flies’ and ‘All he sees are empty eyes’ which really creates a hodgepodge of both music and lyric. With a touch of keys and dissonant synth lines, this song stands out well. A fresh side to the Crowes we have not heard before, it is nice to see the band leave their comfort zone and try something very different.
Overall, A Pound of Feathers really delivers on its promise of being a solid Rock-n-Roll Black Crowes record. All the ingredients are there that fans know and love. The crunchy guitars, thunderous drums, keys, infectious basslines, and Chris’s amazing voice all create the Crowes stew, which is hard to get enough of. Hopefully, this is the boys showing us they have no plans of slowing down, because Cryptic Rock gives A Pound of Feathers 5 out of 5 stars.
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