On first listen, there’s very little here that’s recognisable as “classic Joan Osborne” of old, but between a huge swagger, a fine multi-tracked guitar part cutting through on occasion and what eventually asserts itself as a strong hook, there’s more than enough to pull listeners back in for repeated listening. Tackling another funk groove, ‘Meat & Potatoes’ uses a sparser feel to highlight a deep bass and ominous keys against a vocal that’s a little more understated. Through it all, there’s Joan, absolutely brimming with confidence and huge in voice. Musically, everything is driven by a huge drum part, but the heavy rhythms are counterbalanced by more classic 70s vibes, big on country rock guitar sounds, peppered with gospel tinged backing vocals. Another vaguely Tedeschi-esque vibe cuts through ‘Take It Any Way I Can Get It’, a jam-band juggernaut that’s big on riffs and even bigger on sass. Occasionally, the track calls back to her breakthrough album ‘Relish’ and it’s bluesier moments, but more often falls in line with the more contemporary Tedeschi Trucks Band with its ability to bring a classic style into the present. Set against a heavy drum loop, deep bass and – eventually – a barrage of hard-edged bluesy guitars, Osborne really impresses with a rich, yet smoky vocal. ‘Panama’ suggests “ the meek are in jail / the wicked are in charge” before accusing those in power of looking after their own interests and killing innocent people via environmental ignorance. There’s so much played here by Osborne’s backing band that draws influence from old Rufus/Sly Stone jams and, as such, it promises an instant love for fans of the style. Lyrically, it reflects the sad age in which the song was written, but the music harks back to a distant past of seventies funk grooves. The lyrics constantly jibe and question those making the big decisions the spoken passages make it abundantly clear that racist attitudes and a border wall instigated the need to speak out. This approach is at its most direct on ‘What’s That You Say’, an attack on the right wing attitudes to immigration in the US (peppered by spoken word passages courtesy of Texan artist Ana Maria Rea, who arrived in the States as a child). The album reflects the turbulent era in which it was created with various socially conscious lyrics, but manages to balance out any heavy vibes with music that’s almost guaranteed to make you feel good. However, none of her previous highlights are a match for her 2020 release ‘Trouble and Strife’. Perhaps her over reliance on other people’s material has hindered her being a star on a global scale, but there’s no questioning her vocal talent. Wherever you choose to dip into Joan’s work, there’s something to enjoy…and always a nagging feeling that she should have been bigger. ‘Dead Roses’, a particular highlight from her 2006 release ‘Pretty Little Stranger’, suggested she could rival Bonnie Raitt in the bluesy stakes various cuts from 2012’s ‘Bring It On Home’ demonstrated her husky take on various R&B standards to great effect and 2017’s ‘Songs of Bob Dylan’ had plenty to offer anyone with a keen interest in different takes on a familiar back-catalogue. Across several other far more neglected albums, Joan’s vocal talents continued to shine. Even that mega-hit’s parent album, 1995’s ‘Relish’ featured far superior tracks: with ‘Spider Web’, she introduced the world to her sassy blend of blues and soul via an insatiable groove and sultry vocal and her cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Man In The Long Black Coat’, slowed down to a spooky crawl, ran rings around Zimmerman’s rather jerky original recording. For almost everyone, Joan Osborne will be best remembered for her mid nineties hit ‘One of Us’, but her long career has thrown up so many other gems along the way.
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