Bret Mosley: Light & Blood

A rough-and-tumble upstart with an extraordinary sense of rhythm and, at times, a razor-sharp tongue, Bret Mosley has handed over a debut album of first-rate Americana tunes delivered with world-weary wisdom. Everything Mosley does on his maiden voyage, he does with soul. In his vocals, the resonance of the soul of a man who, at the least, sounds like he’s lived the blues. In his genuinely rootsy playing of instruments like dobro and stompboard, there is foot-stomping soul. Tracks like “Well and Good”, “Preachin’ Blues”, “Raindrop” and “Water Girl” are among the best of these thirteen offerings, yet Mosley offers forth nothing but consistency, quality and excellence throughout the album. With no more country than R&B, no more folk than rock, Light & Blood is never out of balance or dominated by one particular musical idiom, adding to the earthy, almost universal appeal of Mosley’s work.