Devon Allman's Honeytribe is at its best when the band goes full out as they play the blues. And while they do fine when they do choose to slow down, some of the intensity gets lost in the transition. All said, though, the music on Torch is good and the songs move you along from one to another.

They kick things off with "Torch," which is old-school, straight-ahead rock. The lyrics might not be fancy, but they add to the fire. "Mahalo" is an instrumental number, with funky grooves that make it a lot of fun.

Things slow down for "No Woman, No Cry" and they do justice to the song. The tempo continues in "When I Call Home" as the mood drifts further into longing.

The guitars shape the blues of "Perfect World," giving them a hard edge that runs to the end of the song. The hard kick of the guitars continues in "Mercy Mercy" as they create some of their best music by going full out. The sound keeps the fullness even as the pace slows down for "Something I Know," which at times comes close to dragging along. There isn't much comfort to be found in "Heaven has No Mercy," but the aggression in the lyrics matches the tone of the music.

The music takes the forefront in "Why you Wanna Bring Me Down?" and that is part of what makes the song work. "511 Texas Avenue" stands in sharp contrast, a simple guitar solo that is all too short. The CD closes on "Nothing to be Sad About," which is a nice feel-good song, but by no means the best song on the CD.

If you like your blues to have some kick, Devon Allman's Honeytribe delivers it with Torch.

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