ALBUM REVIEW: Peace…Like A River – Gov’t Mule

Fresh from a recent Grammy nomination, GOV’T MULE are back with their twelfth studio album Peace…Like A River. To create this record, the band decided to enlist the help of a catalogue of friends and fellow artists that include, but are not limited to, Billy Bob Thornton, Celisse and Ruthie Foster, who all lend their talents to a blues album that’s highly enjoyable and offers a calming factor.

Opening with Same As It Ever Was, listeners are kindly treated to a gentle song that feels homely and would easily suit a soundtrack for any decent coming of age film. Even when the track switches to a full band feel that offers a combination of electric rock and soul, you find yourself at ease. It’s the type of song that would take you back to the days of having a family lunch in the garden on a hot day.

Along with the ongoing trend of blues rock with a variety of genre blending, each song ranges from being five to nine minutes long, which is a risk for any artist and hard to get right to avoid losing the attention of any listeners, yet GOV’T MULE have pulled this off successfully; you won’t necessarily be gripped by every word and note, but you’ll feel calm and at ease.

We could sit here for ages and go through what makes each track great, but we don’t have time for that, so here are some highlights: Shake Our Way Out, which features vocals from Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP, is a feel good blend between blues and rock ‘n’ roll that genuinely makes you feel empowered; Dreaming Out Loud, featuring vocals from Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster, is a jazz-infused song that just stands out with its use of the brass section – we can easily imagine this being played in a jazz club: and The River Only Flows One Way, featuring Billy Bob Thornton, has a fantastic bass line and offers an interesting twist of using electronic beeps and synths that feel quite reminiscent of a sci-fi environment and builds further intrigue with the use of spoken word that offers a rather dark and mysterious vibe that is certainly a different direction to the rest of record.

As said, we could be sat here for hours talking about it but we believe that you should have a listen for yourself. It’s always a risk when an artist has songs that go above the six-minute mark, but GOV’T MULE have succeeded in making every moment special. Whether it’s an upbeat rock song or a track that is gentle and leaves you feeling zen, there’s something for everyone in Peace…Like A River.

Rating: 8/10

Peace…Like A River is out now via Fantasy Records.

Like GOV’T MULE on Facebook.