I've said it a hundred times (at least!)...Warren Haynes is the hardest working guys in rock. With a slew of guest star appearances, a solo career, and of course his main band Gov't Mule, the guitarist/singer/songwriter appears to never have any down time, and if he isn't in the studio he's out on the road. The latest album from Gov't Mule, Peace...Like a River is another collection of splendid bluesy hard rock, and follows 2021's Heavy Load Blues. That album I was marginally disappointed in..it was fine, though a tad laid back from what we are used to from this band, and initially I had the same opinion of this latest release, though I've grown to appreciate it much more in the months since its release. As with most of the catalog since the death of founding bassist Allan Woody, there is plenty of variety here, the band blending blues, hard rock, funk, and jam all in one sumptuous stew pot of sounds that delivers many rewards with repeated spins. This also features bassist Jorgen Carlsson's last contributions to the band, as he left just prior to the tour after many years with the band. Plenty of enjoyable fare here, such as the heavy blues rock of "Shake Our Way Out" featuring ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on guest vocals & guitar, the atmospheric "Same As It Ever Was", the heavy hitting psychedelic blues of "Peace I Need", the gritty crawl of "Head Full of Thunder", the funky/jazzy instrumental "The River Only Flows One Way", the furious guitar & organ riffs of "After the Storm", and the wah-wah guitars meet horns of "Long Time Coming" for just a few of the gems found on Peace...Like a River. Great guitar work, excellent vocals, and expert instrumentation all around.
Additional guests include Ivan Neville, Billy Bob Thornton, and many others, but it's Haynes, Carlsson, drummer Matt Abts, and keyboard player Danny Louis who steal the show. If you get the digipack CD release, there is a bonus 2nd disk called Time of the Signs with an additional five tracks, so you get even more bang for your buck. Recommended for blues rock lovers of all ages.
Track Listing
1.
Same As It Ever Was 06:44
2.
Shake Our Way Out 06:23
3.
Made My Peace 09:07
4.
Peace I Need 07:21
5.
Your Only Friend 05:59
6.
Dreaming Out Loud 04:38
7.
Head Full Of Thunder 04:35
8.
The River Only Flows One Way 07:21
9.
After The Storm 06:24
10.
Just Across The River 05:18
11.
Long Time Coming 05:19
12.
Gone Too Long 07:15
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