The John Butler Trio – Sunrise Over Sea

Though they draw on the rootsy elements of blues, funk and hip-hop, Australia’s The John Butler Trio is at heart a jamband. You can just feel it in their aura. So while their full-length U.S. debut boasts a taut, punchy set of tunes, it should please fans of Dave Matthews and Govt. Mule alike. Butler’s considerable guitar chops are clearly the focus throughout, and he lets them shine on tracks like “Treat Yo Mama” and “There’ll Come A Time.” However, while his heart is in the right place, his lyrical ?nesse leaves something to be desired. As it is, his unrelenting and self-righteous soap-boxing on environmentalism, corporate greed and Aboriginal rights are too pat, and lend the disc an unfortunately preachy tenor.