By Mike Fordham

Bigger does not always necessarily equal better, a maxim that once again proves true on Both Sides Of The Gun, a two CD set that contains both electric and acoustic discs.

For longtime Harper fans and casual listeners, the electric (read: rock) disc is a surefire winner. It highlights what Harper brings to the table – a soulful singer with thoughtful lyrics and a tight, blues-funk backing band (the Innocent Criminals). This description has fit Harper well throughout his career, and continues here. Always politically minded, Harper takes on President Bush in “Black Rain” with declarations of revolution bolstered by some powerful funk. “Better Way,” with a heavy Eastern influence, offers alternatives to the current administration’s decisions. Harper is one of the few voices out there who can speak his mind politically and not appear as if he’s on a soapbox. Harper also knows when to let the music do the talking, as witnessed in the extended jam number “Serve Your Soul” and the slicing guitar solos of “Engraved Invitation.” For being a band that specializes in funk, soul, and the blues, Harper and the Innocent Criminals conjure up some amazing might (which explains why they are one of the few groups to successfully cover Led Zeppelin).

It’s a shame that such force does not translate onto the acoustic disc. This is strange as Harper can deftly switch between styles. “Reason To Mourn,” with its evocative guitar playing, and “Morning Yearning” show that Harper is capable of restrained strength, but too often, emotional baggage and clichéd strings weigh things down.

Had Both Sides Of The Gun been one disc, it would have been a solid release, but instead the effort comes off as bloated.