Beth Hart - War in my Mind

Words by Charles Patterson

Although more is being done these days to support those who suffer with mental health, the uncomfortable truth is that it isn't talked about nearly enough. So it is refreshing to hear onWar In My Mind, the ninth solo album from Beth Hart, that it is something she is confident enough to tackle head on.

Beth has endured some tough times in her lifetime, from drug addiction, to a short period in prison and the loss of her sister. It's truly astounding to see the comeback she has made. In 2018 alone, she released two live albums – from New York and London – and this is a solid follow-up that shows she is still capable of wowing the big crowds, but also of tackling the toughest of subjects with sincerity.

If there is one word you can use to sum up the album, it is raw. The lyrical content covers a variety of topics, not all of them pleasant, but isn't that the point?  Without talking, we remain unable to overcome our struggles.

Produced by Rob Cavallo, who has worked with such punk-rock heavyweights as Green Day, Paramore, and My Chemical Romance, you'd be forgiven for thinking this offering is going to be loud, raucous and laden with guitars. In part, this is true, with Hart's strong, soulful voice rising to many a crescendo.

But as with our mental health's ability to show two completely different sides, so does this album. From the title track, we drop into the tenderness of Without Words in the Way, a vocal delivered so softly it is reminiscent of Dusty Springfield.

Let It Grow could quite easily be a power ballad, were it not for a gospel choir providing backing vocals.

Sister Dear provides the half-way point for the track list and it's here where Hart strips back the music and her emotions. A song of reflection, perhaps on words left unspoken between her and her sister, who she lost some years ago. Closing track I Need A Hero (one of the hardest hitters lyrically) is another track where Hart, declaring that she's “got so many problems”, appears to be reflecting on her mental health.

It is the piano-driven tracks that really allow the strength of Hart's voice to be appreciated fully, and Rub Me For Luck wouldn't sound out of place on a Bond soundtrack.