Peace

No longer the Swedish-born phenomenon who tore it up down in New Orleans, guitarist/singer Anders Osborne has the ambition and versatility to record a steady stream of blues-rock albums while also playing with the likes of Phil Lesh, New Orleans Indians, and others. Osborne's 11th album, Peace, ranges from the politically charged blues-rock of “5 Bullets” to the lumbering, Crazy Horse–like title track. Like so many modern-day bluesmen, his voice is serviceable in an everyman sort of way. It’s his lyrics’ strong narrative threads that offer real insight into the human condition and the artist himself as he continues to wrestle with some demons of happenstance (post-Katrina life in New Orleans) as well as self-inflicted (“Let It Go”). This ain’t no pity party, however. He downshifts into a light reggae called “Sarah Anne” and offers up jam-band rock on the contemplative “47” and the driving acoustic midlife reality check “Windows.” Finishing on a note of redemption, Osborne closes things out with “My Son,” which is both earnest and sweet.