Things take an even darker turn on songs like "Walk Believer Walk," with a mix heavy on the organ and bass, particularly towards the end of the song when things take a bit of a detour towards jamland. On "Evergreen," that same heavy bass riffing also takes center stage, although Rich Robinson comes up with some equally filthy sounding guitar to match.

On "Wee Who See The Deep," Rich Robinson crafts a guitar riff that sounds suspiciously close to Chicago's FM rock classic "25 Or 6 To 4," although it's played at the sort of slow, muddy tempo you'd more closely associate with someone like Robin Trower. Add a great sounding vocal by Chris Robinson layered in harmonies and great, seventies sounding guitar effects, and you've got the closest thing to a single on the album.

At the end, Robinson even reaches up into a higher falsetto as the song fades with the catchy lyric "nowhere is nothing at all." The classic and adult rock stations out there that actually play new music should jump all over this one. Ditto for the equally riff-rocking "Wounded Bird."

On "Movin' On Down The Line," the Crowes embrace their inner-Zeppelin just a bit with an eerie sounding keyboard intro that recalls that band's "No Quarter," before settling into a downright funky groove revolving around the lyric "it's alright sisters, it's alright brothers, we all get down sometimes." That Exile influence sneaks back into the mix just a little here too, with the ever present slide guitars and harmonica adding a bluesier element.

Okay, so maybe the retro influences do continue to linger just a bit — this is the Black Crowes after all. Even so, on the distinctly down-home sounding Warpaint, the Black Crowes have recovered their musical mojo and rediscovered their own voice again.

It is a welcome return to form.