Superb fourth from Canadian song thrush.
Mud Blood Bone is Cat Clyde’s fourth album and arrives just over four years since its predecessor, Down Rounder. In between times, Clyde released a live album, Live At Rare Bird Farm, as a fundraiser for disaster relief in western North Carolina.
Mud Blood Bone was recorded at Chase Park Transduction in Athens (Georgia) and co-produced by Clyde with Drew Vandenberg, an experienced engineer and producer who worked with Drive-By Truckers and produced last year’s SG Goodman album Planting By The Signs. Clyde is backed on the album by a core crew of Charles LaMont Garner (drums and percussion), Robby Handley (bass), Liam Duncan and Matt Stoessel (guitars) and Eric Olson (keyboards).
The record’s opening track Where Is My Love appeared on Live At Rare Bird Farm as a solo performance. Here, Clyde leads off with an almost howled, unaccompanied vocal, but is soon joined by drums, bass, and guitars as it develops into a bluesy roll. She takes a delight in her delivery as she almost laughs out, “I’ve got a hole in my chest; I can’t take the emptiness”. Even more bluesy is Man’s World, which follows. With a light boogie and some snaky slide guitar, the song sets out Clyde’s vision of operating in a man’s world for which she requires “A shield across my chest”.
Wild One switches into folk-country territory with a nice old-time feel to the chorus amplified by the deep twang of Duncan’s baritone guitar. Next up is Dark Back, a tale of an ending relationship, with a sweet tune, and soft vocals, and some lovely guitar and piano fills which belie the subject matter.
Funky drums and bass introduce Hold My Hand, soon joined by a Booker T-style organ riff, over which Clyde lays a sultry vocal. The break has a very nice acoustic/electric guitar solo interplay. Am I Now at 5:21 is the longest song on Mud Blood Bone. It’s led in by a one-finger piano figure over which Clyde sings a wistful lyric. You can imagine her picked out by a single spot on the stage as she sings this one. As she finishes the final chorus, an instrumental swell builds, led initially by the pedal steel, repeating the song’s motif until it fades to a close.
Cowboy twang follows with a cover of Marty Robbins’ My Love. Clyde swaps Robbins’ Mexican feel for a dramatic Western sound. She whistles like a trooper, too. Wanna Ride, though, comes out of the traps like a full-on 1980s post-punk song and catches the listener by surprise. It’s a fun shot in the arm.
Further contrast with Night Eyes’ 1950s country-and-western style and a rich, relaxed vocal. Meanwhile, Press Down, which Clyde co-wrote with Courtney Marie Andrews, is another blues rocker laced through with Elmore James-style slide guitar.
The album’s closing track, Another Time, is a joy with Clyde’s vocal riding over the pedal steel and bluesy acoustic guitar. The double-tracked vocal is gorgeous as she builds the song to its climax.
Mud Blood Bone is quite simply a delight of a record, which will have little trouble landing a spot in any number of year-end “best of” lists. Fans in the UK have a short post-release tour to look forward to. Can’t wait.
