Here Comes The Flood: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: Mojo

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers started laying down the tracks for their new album Mojo in April 2009 in Petty's own recording facility. With repeated visits to the studio in May, September and November the album was in the can, save for Lover's Touch, a slow blues that was committed to tape in January this year. Their label sat on int for a couple of moth, waiting for the tour announcement to happen (and offering it as a freebie to ticket buyers).

Mojo is a mellow, mid-tempo album. Lead guitarist Mike Campbell does his utmost to channel George Harrison on Good Enough and takes a bow for the Allman Brothers, both living and dead. He shares songwriting credits with Tom Petty on three of the tracks. Petty never was much of a singer, but he knows his limitations and puts them to good use adopting a nasal twang for Candy and Takin' My Time - the latter has all the hooks and crannies to become a jam vehicle in a Black Crowes kind of way.

It's been eight years since Tom Petty made an album with The Heartbreakers. He doesn't have to proof anything and the same goes for his band. When they decided to lock themselves in at Petty's and plugged in their vintage Gibsons, Les Pauls, Hammonds and even a Vox Continental organ, they fell in step with their musical heritage of country, blues and southern rock. It's all been done before, but a lot was done by these guys who have been playing together on and off since 1976.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers:
Tom Petty: lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mike Campbell: lead guitar, mandolin
Scott Thurston: rhythm guitar, harmonica, backing vocals, piano
Ron Blair: bass guitar, backing vocals
Benmont Tench: keyboards, backing vocals
Steve Ferrone: drums, percussion