Bloody good music.

After his much-publicised brush with death, Walter Trout has, it seems, found a new lease of life; over the last few years, he has delivered some of his best and most consistent work of his long and illustrious career. This new album of his is, therefore, another fine addition to the canon of Trout's musical works. 'We're All In This Together', however, isn't a typical album from the man because this time around he has asked some of his oldest and best musical friends to help him out, and what you get is fourteen superb tracks, tailored to each of their strengths, and it has to be said that these individuals have all to a man stepped up and rallied to Trout's call.

The collaborators that Walter Trout has called upon consists of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sonny Landreth, Mike Zito, Robben Ford, Warren Haynes, Eric Gales, Edgar Winter, Joe Louis Walker, John Nemeth, Randy Bachman, the legendary John Mayall, Charlie Musselwhite, his son Jon Trout and finally Joe Bonamassa. Now those names alone should be enough for you to buy this wonderful album, but when you get to hear the songs written by Trout for each of the participants, things just get better.

With fourteen great Blues songs on offer to potentially highlight, space becomes limited, so instead I have opted to pick out a few of my favourites. The classy 'The Other Side Of The Pillow' with the superb harmonica playing of Musselwhite is a great place to start, as is 'She Listens To The Blackbird Sing' which sees Zito and Trout in contemplative mood. There's also 'The Sky Is Crying' with Haynes and the up-tempo and foot-tappingly brilliant 'Crash And Burn' with its wonderful guitar battle courtesy of Trout and Walker. Lastly, take a minute to digest Trout playing with his Blues mentor John Mayall on 'Blues For Jimmy T' and you'll be glad that you did.

Admittedly, this isn't Melodic Rock/AOR/Metal or anything like it, but that shouldn't, and indeed doesn't matter because it's bloody good music and that in the end is all that really matters. Walter Trout has done it again.

Ian Johnson