Album of the Week: Beth Hart

Although Beth Hart‘s career has now spanned more than three decades, the singer owes her entry into the spotlight in no small measure to Joe Bonamassa, with whom she recorded three duo albums (Don’t Explain in 2011, Seesaw in 2013 and Black Coffee in 2018, plus 2014′s Live in Amsterdam ) alongside her solo career. A career that includes around fifteen studio albums and four others recorded live, of which her latest release is a new peak.

We thought we’d seen the last of Beth Hart, whose warm, raspy voice has long been a perfect match for her blues-rock sound that’s often laced with jazzy undertones. But it turns out she still has plenty more to offer. After the darker, more vulnerable album, War in My Mind, Hart took a surprising detour by covering Led Zeppelin, showing that she’s comfortable in both the realms of hard and classic rock.

So, how does she follow up such successful stylistic experiments? By expanding her sound even further...

Two powerful blues-rock songs—”Savior with a Razor” featuring Slash, and “Suga N My Bowl” with Eric Gales—kick off the album. These heavy hitters set the stage for what’s to come, but You Still Got Me offers plenty of surprises. There’s the country-infused “Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash,” the playful “Never Underestimate a Gal,” and the electrifying “Machine Gun Vibrato,” which provides a fitting conclusion to the album. Hart’s songwriting feels more focused than ever, with the standout “Don’t Call the Police,” a six-minute track filled with dynamic contrasts, showcasing her versatility.

The album also includes some ballads, more traditional in style but still deeply emotional, revealing an artist who’s unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve while still honouring the genre’s roots. Rather than being a simple reinvention, You Still Got Me is an album refusing to sit still, with every track fueled by Hart’s undeniable talent and her voice perfectly adapting to the vibe of each song. It’s a journey that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish, and it just might be the best work Beth Hart has ever delivered.

You Still Got Me cements her standing in the music world, as she dares to push beyond the boundaries of blues and rock without losing focus. More importantly, Hart’s voice and performance feel completely in sync with each track, making the whole album flow naturally without ever feeling scattered.