Description
Grammy Award-winning blues artist Keb’ Mo’ is back with his most personal album to date, Oklahoma. With more Americana influence than usual and plenty of guest appearances, the album has allowed him to express joy, political sentiment and vulnerable storytelling. The collaborators that signed on to contribute were in some cases artists Mo’ never imagined he’d work with, musicians who gave the songs more dimension and complexity simply by putting their stamp on the material. He also enlisted his friend Colin Linden to primary production duties, Linden also playing electric guitar aside Mo’s resonator on several tracks.
The collaborators mentioned include Roseanne Cash, Dara Tucker, Taj Mahal, Jaci Velasquez and his own wife Robbie Brooks. Oklahoma covers a lot of topical and stylistic ground for an album of 10 songs. Mo’ engages with topics like environmentalism, mental health, immigration and more while his guests lend musical support at strategic points to make the songs hit harder and go deeper. Oklahoma is admittedly a far cry from what Mo’ initially hoped it would be. It stands as proof that trusting the creative process, as Mo’ has learned to do through his decades-long career, can reap immense rewards with the right artist steering it along.
