ALBUM REVIEW: With ‘In The Real World’ Eric Bibb Preaches Change Gently

Eric Bibb is an old smoothie. Since his debut with ’72’s Ain’t It Grand, Bibb’s flight path has been a swooping glide that has him soaring aloft with mellow, folky ruminations on the state of the world and his place in it.

His latest, In the Real World, features fifteen songs all written or co-written by Bibb. As usual, his mellow delivery belies his somber messages for change and redemption.

Bibb is a preacher, but not a pulpit-pounder. He gets his point across sliding all that heavy stuff right underneath his wings and still lifting off smoothly.

Bibb starts out his latest journey in a church of his own devising – one he says could harbor Bob Marley, Percy Mayfield or Sam Cooke in the choir – belting out the opening cut, “Take The Stage.” Bibb portrays a tumbledown world stumbling with age and decay, but offers a solution: “So many dying of thirst/ love is the water /we all need right now.”

In the music video for “Roll On Buddy,” images of Black laborers flicker across the screen. It’s a work song to accompany the back-breaking drudgery of chopping cotton or breaking rocks: “Ask the man in charge if it ain’t time to quit / and the man tells you to roll on, buddy.” But as Bibb points out, “it don’t roll along easy.”

Bibb’s beautiful, intricate finger picking is usually featured on his outings, a blend of his country blues with his jazz and classical influences. But here he relies heavily on former Pretenders member and Paul McCartney sideman Robbie McIntosh for a passel of electric guitar touches and slide solos. But McIntosh never gets in the way or overwhelms Bibb’s acoustic ruminations – Mr. Mellow abides and glides on.

“Make A Change” offers common sense advice. If you want to see the world improve, make a change in yourself, he sings: ”Bless more, drive less, use your feet/ Smile more, curse less, eat less meat.” He also postulates some visitation revisions: “Get to know your neighbors /’Specially the ones don’t look like you / Invite ’em into your home/ Break bread together……Tell the truth, spread the word.”

Bibb is at his best unadorned with just vocal and acoustic guitar and a smidgen of synth help from Glen Scott providing an ethereal swirl on “Dear Mavis,” a love letter/thank you note to the Staples singer/griot/soothsayer who inspired generations of gospel rockers with her sultry aisle-crossing ministrations: “Wanting you to know/ how you healed my soul/ Dear Mavis-that’s what you do…. In a world full of lies/ Where push always comes to shove/ Dear Mavis, you spread love.”

As a sermonette, In the Real World, is worthy. Preach, brother–and play on.

Eric Bibb’s In The Real World is out today via Stony Plain Records.