Osborne delivers the next chapter of his spiritual odyssey, Peace. With the new CD, Osborne continues the journey started by American Patchwork and Black Eye Galaxy, emerging from a whirlwind of emotional chaos and moving toward a sense of inner peace. Recorded at Dockside Studios in Louisiana and produced by Osborne and Warren Riker, Peace looks at the title subject from all angles. Drawing strength and inspiration from his family and friends, Osborne created the most observational record of his career. According to Osborne, “Peace is light from darkness. The songs are written from the outside looking in. They are not making any judgments. I’m just stating facts. I’m writing from a brighter perspective. There’s less dusk and dark, and much more sunlight. The results are greater than I expected. The driving tones and sounds are free and natural. This is one of the coolest records I’ve ever made.”
Review:
Since signing to Alligator Records in 2010, Anders Osborne has assembled
a truly iconic body of work that builds on the rootsy rock and blues strengths
he's displayed since his debut in 1989. Despite its arresting cover image,
Peace completes a trilogy of sorts that began with his embrace of harder guitar
rock and acoustic fare on American Patchwork and 2012's Black Eye Galaxy. Both
records depicted his struggles with resettlement after Hurricane Katrina and his
drug addiction and recovery. While the excellent Three Free Amigos EP appeared
between those records and this one, it was a collection Osborne simply had to
cut in order to get here. Peace ties together the guitar virtuoso, the poetic
songwriter, and the struggling human being trying to look at life soberly and
squarely. He accomplishes it all without preaching. The title track juxtaposes
his autobiography with sobriety's desire for equanimity. The music reveals the
tension between them. A guitar, bass, and drum attack reminiscent of Neil
Young's and Crazy Horse's, layers in drifting acoustic guitars for balance and
adds a stinging solo as an exclamation point. “Windows” employs driving
acoustic guitars to look back at Osborne's journey of self-discovery through
the lens of various encounters with the dark side of his nature.
It's underscored by hypnotic drums, the textured backing chorus of Susan
Cowsill and Justin Tocket, and a snaky guitar break. “Five Bullets” is
chugging, unhinged, funky hard rock with inverted grooves courtesy of whomping
drums by Carl Dufrene and a humming bass throb by Eric Bolivar. A brief,
psychedelic, improvisational, sonic pastiche called “Brush Up Against Me”
acts as a hinge-piece, dividing the set's front and back halves. Osborne
delivers the bittersweet “Sentimental Times” with a B-3, French horn, piano,
and a slow, shuffling drumkit framing his electric guitar. In the narrative, he
recalls the significant events in his past with a sense of wonder, and tries to
make sense of them. A second melody that recalls “Whiter Shade of Pale”
adds to the sense of reverie. The choogling, lyrical, “Dream Girl,” the
slippery, rockist reggae of “Sarah Anne,” and the silvery tenderness in
“My Son,” are all heartfelt love songs to his family (in the same way that
much of 2007's Coming Down was one to New Orleans itself). The dynamic,
acoustic-electric testimonial “I'm Ready” reveals a depth of understanding
of the present moment as the gateway to forever. Peace is, insofar as any record
album is capable, a multi-dimensional portrait of Osborne as man and musician.
It addresses the raw, often confused emotions explored on American Patchwork and
Black Eye Galaxy; it also answers many of their questions, while posing new
ones.
All Music Guide – Thom Jurek