If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a fan of Ben Harper and his easy-going grooves. I guess a time had to come where the man himself got a bit tired of same-old, and struck out in a new direction. Here it is.

The Relentless 7 is Harper’s bluesy, hard-rockin’ pickup band, and his excuse for getting quite a lot heavier than he’s ever been.

Not that you won’t find the odd softer song or ballad here: ‘Skin Thin’ is a particularly good example of Harper’s sensitive side. But largely, the Harper of White Lies For Dark Times tunes into a tougher rock dynamic.

It’s as though Harper decided he wanted to be Hendrix. Except he comes out of the wash sounding like Lenny Kravitz, who, back in the early ‘ 90s was making a retro-vision rock/funk blend that had a lot to recommend it. I’m glad that this isn’t just rock; Harper never quite seems to lose his groove, which in the past has often been accompanied by music that was rather predictable. Here, he’s stretching out of the formula, and seems to be enjoying himself, but it’s not an abnegation of his songwriting duties: the songs themselves are Ben Harper tracks, just dressed in different sounds.

This is a nice, fat package with a free DVD, with a video clip and documentary.

While Harper’s new direction will keep fans interested for a while yet, Tone readers may quibble with the sound quality: it’s punch enough, but there’s a ‘contained’, boxy aspect to the recording that prevents it from really coming alive in the living room. GARY STEEL

Sound: 2.5 Music: 3.5