Album Cover
Gov’t Mule
“By A Thread”
October 2009; Evil Teen Records
By Emily J Ramey
Click Here to See the Published Version on American Music Channel
Gov’t Mule has always been a shoo-in for critical acclaim and had an easy genre transition that made for a built-in fan base, what with it being Warren Haynes’ official side project and all. That’s certainly not to say that the band hasn’t worked hard and isn’t musically awesome in their own right, but I think even Warren would agree with me that the whole Allman Brothers association hasn’t exactly been underplayed in the band bio. Current Gov’t Mule, on the other hand, is straying farther and farther away from the twangy good ol’ southern rock so characteristic of the Allman Bros Band. Let’s just say Gov’t Mule is a little less “Jessica” and a little more “Whipping Post” with each subsequent album, and By A Thread is fraying the genre ties and ever-present comparisons with more fervor than ever.
By A Thread is dirty and dense, mighty, muscular, and soulful. The album begins with the heavy, churning “Broke Down On The Brazos,” with the fierce introduction of recent addition, bassist Jorgen Carlsson, on the record. “Steppin’ Lightly,” the second track, is a grungy, distorted track with a chorus that resolves the song with the lyrical line, “Can’t you feel me rising today?” “Monday Mourning Meltdown,” on the other hand, is all jam. The bluesy feel of the song conjures up a contagiously mellow atmosphere that gets moving with a few well-placed harmonies in the chorus. The song then breaks down into a couple of raucous and funky keys and guitar riffs. “Gordon James” acts as a ballad that is borderline country music, but Haynes instead steers the melancholy instrumentation toward wailing, woeful guitars and his own clear voice and southern sorrow. As it is, “Gordon James” is probably the most memorable track on By A Thread for its purity and rhapsodic passion. “Inside Outside Woman Blues #3” is densely rhythmic and vehemently robust. Bass and drums rumble along at the low end, keys trill wildly at the high end of the sound spectrum, and while Haynes’ vocals remain staunch and growling, his guitar sweeps the scales with a savage and hungry blaze.
Three years since their last studio album and Gov’t Mule is smoldering hotter and more aggressively than ever. Each of the respective musicians’ explosive capabilities is singularly unmistakable, and together they are invincible. Warren Haynes and Mule have big plans for this album’s tour, including the usual and widely popular festival circuit. See you there.
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