Gov't Mule release new double album

Shout! is the Grammy-nominated power blues veterans’ latest creation, and their tenth studio album. Haynes wanted to offer his new songs up to fresh interpretation, but shrank from the idea of having guest vocalists duet with him because, he says, "rock ‘n roll duets are an oxymoron, kinda like jumbo shrimp."

The result is a double album of which one-half features the band’s new songs, and the other a version of those songs delivered by their heroes.

Gov’t Mule’s rich rock ‘n' roll sound is both brooding and bluesy, their daring and clever mixture of funk and psychedelia adding a spontaneous, effortless and stylish feel to music that has been compared to the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Pink Floyd, and the Clash. Shout! is no different, for each song, as Haynes himself notes, has its own personality.

The album’s second-half features appearances from Ben Harper, Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Jim James, Grace Potter, Toots Hibbert, Glenn Hughes, Ty Taylor, Dave Matthews, Myles Kennedy, and Steve Winwood. But this impressive line-up is no glitzy crutch for the record’s first-half to lean on, as each section is a stunning work in its own right. The original album’s star-studded twin illuminates Gov’t Mule’s own skilful song writing prowess, as well as serving as a very personal tribute to a long tradition of great rock ‘n' roll vocalists.

Shout! is out now.