Let me tell you, Jorgen Carlsson’s got a heavy bass. By A Thread is Carlsson’s debut as bassist with Gov’t Mule, and together they bring about a sweet cohesion. Non-Allman Brother Warren Haynes leads his side-project band into and through a record of 11 tracks that are full of soulful, bluesy jam-band riffs, and a strange sincerity exuded by few.

Clearly, this record’s gonna hold some southern rock. Exhibit A: “Railroad Boy”, which is a mixture of rolling country rock and movie western showdown tune. On a more psychedelic note, “Monday Mourning Meltdown” allows for a visualization of the reason Gov’t Mule takes over basically every summer music festival around the country. Echoing guitars, resonating keyboards, and a jaded, raspy moan are more than enough to paint a swirl of spirals in the mind’s eye.

Haynes is an old school player, but he has tremendous skill in applying his guitar prowess and style to new releases in a fresh way. By A Thread’s musical wingspan covers moody tracks like the aforementioned “Monday Mourning Meltdown” to the more summery “Frozen Fear”, and touches on some pretty out there ‘60s era rock n roll in “Inside Outside Woman Blues #3”. At times throughout this record, I am overwhelmed by the might of Waynes’ guitar, and the hard-pressing, dragging sound of the band as a whole.

Gov’t Mule is in fact, a very talented band with a good sound. While they might be considered underrated by some, they make just the kind of music that will stand the tests of time due to its tried-and-true style and quality of musicianship. Of course, this does not imply that they will be topping charts or hogging the limelight of the mainstream. Nevertheless, they continue to be one of the better rock jam bands around, and hopefully will continue to trudge on.

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By A Thread

Categories: Album Reviews
Tags: Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes