By Rick Garner

Beth Hart, armed with one of the most unique and heart-wrenching voices of this century and a backstory packed with incredible opportunities and lamentable loss, will return with a new album, Bang Bang Boom Boom, on April 9 (Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group).

Produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Jimmy Page/The Black Crowes, Dream Theater), Bang Bang Boom Boom features eleven stunning blues, cabaret, rock, jazz and soul-influenced tracks, all written by Hart and recorded live at Shirley’s Malibu, Calif., studio in early 2012. Bang Bang Boom Boom is a life-changing endeavor for the Los Angeles-born singer, songwriter and musician, who brought her life experiences ~ both positive and negative ~ together for what one European outlet called “a career-defining album.”

“We’ve covered a gamut of styles on this record,” said Shirley, “and it explores what Beth loves to sing. There are some jazzy influences and some hard rock influences, some vaudeville in there. We’ve got a little bit of reggae, and some songs that are reminiscent of that West Coast sound of Tom Petty or the Eagles. I think she’s made a classic album; it’s really amazing.”

For the Bang Bang Boom Boom recording sessions, Shirley assembled a extraordinary, group of musicians: long-time “Late Show with David Letterman” drummer Anton Fig (Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen), bassist Michael Rhodes (the Dixie Chicks, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill), keyboardist Arlan Schierbaum (Joe Bonamassa, John Hiatt), guitarist Randy Flowers (Meat Loaf, Wynonna Judd), and drummers Curt Bisquera (Josh Groban, Mick Jagger, Elton John) and Herman Mathews (Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion).

Bang Bang Boom Boom gives Hart’s eclectic influences free rein, spinning from the brassy gospel of “Spirit Of God” to the sparse “Thru The Window Of My Mind,” with her first-ever piano solo on “Swing My Thing Back Around,” and a tender vocal on the Billie-Holiday-flavored “Baddest Blues.”

Hart’s story is one of intense highs and extreme lows. In the late ’90s, she was on the cusp of a promising music career, signed to a major label, with national television bookings, hit singles, and great press, but her career careened out of control due to her substance abuse. Healthy, happy and substance-free now for nearly a decade, Hart has rebuilt her career, touring extensively in the UK and Europe.

“I was so nervous before we began recording,” admitted Beth. “But once I came in and met everyone the night before, it was just so great. I thought, ‘OK, this is going to be one of those life experiences where you are in the moment and aware of how lucky you are.’ It’s like starting over, it’s like the beginning of music again for me. ”

Click here to hear the album’s title track and check out the official promo video.

Photo credit: Jeff Katz