Walter Trout Live at Melkweg Amsterdam

Great artists sense the pulse of their times. Throughout his fifty-year career as a street-level observer and brutally honest songwriter, blues-rock icon Walter Trout has never told his fans what to think or feel. But in an era when his country — and the world — is pulling apart along stark social and political lines, his new album Sign Of The Times becomes a vital release of tension. I wanted to capture the anger and anxiety in the world, says the 74-year-old. Writing these songs is therapy. They’re not just about what’s happening out there, but how it affects your mind. The title was obvious. Although his previous album Broken — which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart — still feels fresh, the new songs couldn’t wait. Riffs poured out quickly, aided by his wife and manager Dr. Marie Trout, whose lyrics hit each topic with precision. We had so many ideas we could’ve made a triple album, he says. With ten finished songs, Trout entered the studio with his longtime band. The tense subject matter sparked one of the heaviest records of his career. We had serious things to talk about, so we leaned fully into the rock energy.