breaking out, and into classic rock
Making the move from a full-on blues sound into more "classic rock" territory has been good for Chris Lizotte. As lean an' lowdown as albums like Soul Motion and Long Time Coming could be, their predominantly Texas blues containment kept Lizotte bottled as a singer/songwriter. Big Heavy World is Lizotte's best, most open album yet. Songs that are sing-along memorable, such as "The Almighty" and "You Know My Name" have an arid, wide-open feel, not unlike Tom Petty.
"It's My Right," a flailing, neo-psychedelic jaunt, calls to mind Stone Temple Pilots. "Gold" and "Far and Wide" slip into smooth introspection, a la The Wallflowers. Lizotte surrounds himself with an able backing band, featuring producer Shawn Tubbs on guitar and bass. Tubbs shifts easily from style to style, an imaginative player who shades each song like a painting. John Andrew Schreiner shines on an array of keyboards — Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, even a mellotron. Lizotte may be one of Christian rock's best kept secrets, but the secret just may be out with Big Heavy World.