Artist: Babaux & The Peacemakers Album: Lucky 13 Release: 2022 Lucky 13 is an eleven song set from the soulful Colorado ensemble of musicians including Christian Basso handling the vocals and dobro, Eric Martinez on guitar and Alana and Niek Velvis on drums and bass respectively. The record clocks in just under 47 minutes bringing the listener on a blues and roots rock journey that occasionally has a tiny glimpse of old Nashville in it. The production is a stripped down meat and potatoes approach with lots of grease left in to savor. It is reminiscent of a release from the mid 70s coming out of Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia. Simply put, the record just breathes. Early Grave is a standout track. It comes in with a stone cold lonely acoustic guitar that sets up an impeccable vocal take. The vocals sit like a butter patty on warm bread, slowly melting with soul, taste and patience. The guitar solo section reminds me a bit of The Doors classic cut The End. Not so much in the playing itself, but the hypnotic drone that is created with the large majority of the solo happening on one chord. My favorite track is Bye Bye To You. The vocal is hinging on tragic, in the same way that Tom Waits delivers his graveled poetry set to a musical backdrop. The chorus vocal moves seamlessly in and out of the falsetto. This cut is an example of how effective a simple hook can be when delivered with maturity and taste. It’s difficult to label this as a blues album in a traditional sense, but the blues runs deep through the whole production. It is swampy and sweaty with its own fingerprint. It’s loose in all the best ways. The whole production just feels natural and comfortable. This album is proof that there are still folks making real music that needs to be made and heard. If you like soulful southern influenced music with one foot firmly in the blues you will love this band!
