Guitarist Pat Travers wails across our ears and minds, pretty much harkening back to his 70s heyday, while still staying relevant, with The Art Of Time Travel. While I expected some excellent guitar work here, I especially liked the strong vocal moments. From the title track opener with its nearly Styx-like chorus, those sweet “ooh’s” on “Ronnie,” a tribute to Ronnie Montrose, and the soaring, sexy strut of “Move on,” the high-flying solid backing vocals counter Travers’ growl perfectly.
Of course, having Alex Petrosky behind you on drums and David Pastorius (nephew of Jaco Pastorius) on bass doesn’t hurt either. This rhythm section allows lots of space for Travers to shred when he needs to, which he does often, reminiscent of Travers of old, as well as when they back some wonderful jazzy horn moments woven into the instrumental “Full Spectrum,” or their metered take on the spacey “Natalie” instrumental that closes the album.
In a perfect world (or one where vintage rockers got their due on current radio), there would be plenty of tunes here that would make for great singles, as well as stuff you can sit back, close your eyes with, and just lose yourself to. The Art Of Time Travel will certainly set you on any musical journey you want to go on.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
