Cat Clyde - Mud Blood Bone

"Time is not linear," says Cat Clyde. That existential observation fuels the album's kick-off single and closer, "Another Time," but it also acts as the guiding light of Mud Blood Bone, her first album on Concord Records. In writing what would become the primer for listeners, she flipped through a mental Rolodex, "thinking about the power to bottle up and lean into meaningful moments and memories" and "considering how bittersweet it is for beautiful moments to be, knowing they all become a ripple in time."

Mud Blood Bone is a photo album of snapshots taken throughout the time and space of Clyde's existence. "I don't wanna feel so lonely," she howls in the cruising-down-the-highway-at-100-mph "Wanna Ride." That unshakable, rage-soaked energy is like a sunburst, and she splits the clouds in two, as though cutting through a wrinkle in time.

"Press Down" shimmers with the rock 'n roll sparkle of the 1950s, groovy and polished for pop radio play. Elsewhere, Clyde proclaims the female heroism of trekking through a muddy "Man's World" with a "shield across my chest," she sings. "Dark Back," one of her career bests, feels like a Brandi Carlile b-side (complementary) with its honeyed arrangement and Clyde's discerning, affecting vocal.

Later, "I Am Now," a five-minute epic, moans and cries over fragile piano keys. "I'm carving up my life / Each stroke is calm and sure," she sings. "Oh, I am now / Oh, and how I'm opening the door." It's a stunningly simple arrangement that eventually dissolves into a brutal and devastating instrumental. Clyde leads you through a hall of newfound musical exploration, opening herself up to untouched territory.

Everything builds and builds into the climactic "Night Eyes." Despite its brisk runtime (2:20), she makes every syllable count. "A long dark path going some way / I'm going some place I never knew," she slides into another key, just as she drags the arrangement behind her. "Build a fire in the caves of me / Know I'll never be a slave again for love," she vows. Her voice quickly explodes like fireworks across a stormy night sky, a growl emanating from some place primal and never before unearthed.

Cat Clyde shows a real musical transformation. There's a tendency, especially in Americana music, to tap into what works and repeat the process over and over and over again, without a willingness to experiment and swing for the fences. Here, Clyde is not only daring enough to dabble, but she puts it all on the line for a career-defining project.

Perhaps, it's too early to tell, but Mud Blood Bone just might be the best album of 2026.

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