Cross Your Fingers, which opens with deftly-plucked acoustic guitar, explodes into life just north of the 40-second mark with a slinky, lascivious riff, with enough swagger and funk on board to keep the party throbbing before gospel vocals take it all to the church as the climax approaches.   

 

Happiness Bastards was recorded in Nashville with Jay Joyce, who has previously worked with the likes of Halestorm, Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson.

It's the first BLACK CROWES album since 2010's acoustic collection Croweology, and their first album of new material since the previous year's Before the Frost...Until the Freeze. It'll be released on March 15. 

 

(Image credit: Ross Halfin)