8/10

Some albums feel carefully assembled in the studio, while others feel like they were unearthed from the earth itself. And with 'Mud Blood Bone', Canadian singer-songwriter Cat Clyde delivers a bold, emotionally untamed collection that howls, whispers, and roars through the tangled terrain of heartbreak, self-discovery, and spiritual renewal.

Right from the opening moments of 'Where Is My Love', Clyde sets the emotional tone with a ferocious vocal performance that refuses to hide vulnerability behind restraint. Her voice carries both ache and defiance, moving through swampy piano and gritty instrumentation with the intensity of someone confronting the deepest corners of her own heart.

Across the album, she wrestles with the concept of love itself; what it means, how it shapes us, and how it can sometimes confine rather than liberate. On the luminous centrepiece 'My Love', she expands the idea far beyond romance, grounding it in the natural world. Mountains, wind, and wildlife become metaphors for a broader, more elemental understanding of connection. It’s a powerful reimagining of affection as something wild and expansive rather than possessive.

Elsewhere, she confronts societal pressures with electrifying energy. 'Man’s World' explodes with blues-drenched guitars and biting commentary, challenging the structures that shape women’s experiences. The track feels like both protest and liberation, delivered with the fearless intensity that has become one of her greatest strengths.

The emotional tension continues on 'Press Down', where she reflects on the suffocating weight of a relationship that once held her captive. Co-written with Courtney Marie Andrews, the song slowly unfolds into a powerful declaration of resilience, its imagery evoking the strength of mountains rising above pressure.

Finally, the album closes with 'Another Time', a reflective farewell that embraces life’s constant motion. It feels like a quiet acceptance that every experience, whether it be joyful or painful, becomes part of a much larger journey.

Produced by Drew Vandenberg, 'Mud Blood Bone' balances blues grit, folk storytelling, and rock swagger into a sound that feels both rooted and expansive. Yet what truly defines the record is Cat Clyde herself, as an artist who remains fearless, searching, and unapologetically honest throughout.

Here, she transforms personal upheaval into a fierce, life-affirming declaration that love, power, and freedom can be rediscovered in the wildest corners of the soul.