What is
The Next Adventure? Not to put too fine a point on it, but for
the Marshall Tucker Band, it's simply surviving, finding their way as veteran rockers -- the kind who don't get respect from critics, or even the world at large, but they still have plenty of fans who will buy compilations, concert tickets, and new albums, like 2004's
Beyond the Horizon or its 2007 follow-up,
The Next Adventure. This isn't quite as lively as that 2004 comeback, but it doesn't need to be: this is the sound of
the Marshall Tucker Band relaxed and confident, knowing that their audience is there and playing directly to them. As such, it feels familiar -- the blend of country, blues, and rock is certainly tied to their '70s peak -- but it would never be mistaken for the work of the band 30 years ago, not just because guitarist
Toy Caldwell is among the departed, but because this is a warm, mellow record that rarely raises its temperature but never sounds lazy, either. It's comfortable, but in the best possible way -- the kind of record that longtime fans, who have stuck with them through the ups and downs, will like but the kind of record that may not carry the same resonance for those who haven't been through the twists and turns, because this familiarity only gains resonance when you know what
the MTB has been through. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine