Who would have thought that the little bluegrass duo from Georgia would become one of the most prominent groups on the American blues rock scene? Certainly not the Lovell sisters when they formed Larkin Poe in 2010. Yet they have managed to win the hearts of an increasing number of fans, going on to win the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album with ‘Blood Harmony’. So it is on the strength of their success, and with a pleasure in playing that is as infectious as ever, that Megan and Rebecca deliver ‘Bloom’, their seventh album, still imbued with an authenticity that confirms their status as the undisputed heirs of southern rock.

‘Bloom’ is about introspection and self-acceptance. This theme runs through all the compositions, starting with ‘Mockingbird’, the opening track with an unstoppable chorus that immediately reminds us why the music of Larkin Poe is so endearing. This excellent blues rock track, carried by Rebecca's characteristic voice and Megan's omnipresent lap steel, symbolises their flawless mastery of songwriting.

The remarkably balanced production, still under the leadership of the faithful Tyler Bryant, marvellously combines vintage sounds with modernity, and allows Larkin Poe to vary the pleasures without ever losing the common thread that is its strength: catchy titles on the edge of pop with a particularly enjoyable blues rock background (‘Nowhere Fast’, ‘Fool Outta Me’, ‘Little Bit’, ‘You Are The River’).

The Lovell sisters have fun with the codes, distilling their know-how in terms of vocal harmony (the sublime Americana ballad ‘Bloom Again’) and also know how to assert themselves as women who are comfortable in their shoes and in their time, particularly on the excellent ‘If God Is A Woman’, a provocative roots blues with hard-hitting lyrics (‘If God is a woman... The devil is too’), a dazzling demonstration that they have reinvented southern rock with talent and sincerity without distorting it.

With this non-stop ‘Bloom’, Larkin Poe continues to rise with eleven particularly successful compositions that combine authenticity and accessibility. The Lovell sisters have produced their most accomplished album to date, combining rock energy, blues sensitivity and a sense of pop melody with incredible talent. This is an album that is good for the morale and makes you want to believe that the best is yet to come for Larkin Poe.