Seasick Steve has just released his gritty, new, foot-stomping album, ‘Love and Peace’.
Powered by authentic country riffs, earthy blues tones and his own laid-back style, the 12-track album is cohesive in the best of ways.
‘Love and Peace’ lives and breaths in the infectious pull of every distinctively zesty backbeat, giving Seasick Steve the room to do what he does so well.
Rolling through the speakers, the title track ‘Love and Peace’ amplifies Steve’s mellow vibes with ‘Hey man what’s the issue here’ spoken through the speakers. The track is exactly what you would expect, challenging the divisions, arguments and negativity of the world, pushing to replace this with love and peace.
‘Regular man’ laces Steve’s charismatic storytelling ability with a bluesy flare brought alive by the twang of folk/country in his vocals.
Seasick Steve flexes his massively optimistic outlook on the world and ebbs this into every track on the album. ‘Toes in the mud’ and ‘Church of me’ especially seem like an ode to this outlook, connecting his earthy naturality to a pulsing backbeat you cannot escape the pull of.
‘Church of me’ in particular uses this pull to ramble at its own 6-minute pace and wonder through differing tempos builds and sounds. The empowering track of self-belief and independence has you standing a little taller and walking with a little more swagger as you match your pace and mindset to the gritty riff of the track.
‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Boogie’ shines with the jingle of the tambourine in another track you can’t help but smile at. Steve colours the track with percussion and a harmonica break over a minute long, keeping his distinctive sound and style in play throughout the whole album.
Ringing the album to an end is the sweet sounds of ‘Mercy’. It is one of the more mellow tracks on the album with a quiet stripped-down backing, accompanied by the delicate plucking of the guitar. Steve’s voice shines through the track with compassion and love, sliding over every note with the calming clarity he is so well known for.
‘Love and Peace’ gives you exactly what you would want and expect from Seasick Steve. It is void of any negativity and brings the sunshine straight to you. Although many of the tracks can be quite lengthy you cannot complain, especially when surrounded by the chill, laid back vibes of Seasick Steve!
Listen to the full album on Spotify here!