Mitch Ryder - Georgia Drift (2023)

Keith Richards once said Mitch Ryder was "among the most exciting singers to ever emerge on the music scene."

In the more than 50 years of his musical career, Mitch Ryder has celebrated great successes and suffered some setbacks, but the soon-to-be 78-year-old "with the lurking vibrato in his voice" has never lost his bite and vision, and today he is as agile and popular as ever

Mitch Ryder's 2023 album, "Georgia Drift," is, as the title suggests, inspired by Southern soul, so it's earthier and more laid back than his earlier albums. Ryder himself, who moved his center of life from Michigan in the north to Georgia, in the deepest south of the U.S., some time ago, calls the album "a reflection of my musical direction since my move." And so "Georgia Drift" contains wonderful songs influenced by gospel and blues, such as "Lord" in typical Georgia style, the gospel-inspired "Salvation", where even banjo and violin can be heard discreetly, or the touching ballad "Jack", where Mitch's voice is accompanied only by piano and violin.

That Mitch Ryder still has the groove, on the other hand, is proven by tracks like "Mask" and "Soul" that animate you to immediately bob along, while pieces like "Beautiful" or "Naked" are prime examples of grandiose rhythm & soul songs.