Love is one of those experiences that makes a person feel human, like they’re in touch with the world, and Mike Mangione is no exception. His album Blood & Water delves deep into what it means to be in love, the different forms that love can take, how love can come and go, and gives listeners some good lessons on how to look at the world. Mangione weaves the blues, gospel, Americana, folk, and country into an album that might be more accurately called an experience.
Mangione is a critically acclaimed artist and no stranger to many different kinds of music that he took inspiration from throughout his album. Listeners can clearly hear gospel sounds, some traditional bluegrass instrumentation, and trucking blues, but Mike puts a contemporary twist on all of those styles, making them his own. Together with a team of talented musicians like Bryan Issacs of the Lumineers and Grammy-winning producer Larry Campbell, Mangione made an album that sounds simultaneously old and new. His vocal range not only in the highs and lows but also the louds and quiets make for a powerful, emotional performance that gives soul to his songs and brings his listeners into the stories he tells.
The gospel and blues roots of Mike Mangione’s music are very clear in this album. Every track in Blood & Water comes with either organ or accordion (played by Will Bryant) implementing the iconic sound of church gospel, and the majority of the songs end with the sweet sound of the organ ringing out, giving them a gratifying resolution. Some songs, like You Didn’t Come Here Alone, are composed of classic blues elements entwined with Mangione’s uniquely clean, pure voice that has just a hint of grit behind it.
While Blood & Water addresses many different topics, the overarching theme of the album is one of lovesickness and compassion. Sometimes, like in the blues-oriented Love Ain’t No Easy Thing, Mangione sings about how tough and rewarding love can be, sometimes he sings about how love can be the way out of a tough world and into a happier life, but what’s unique about Blood & Water is the use of storytelling. For example, Gone Once Again tells a tale rooted in sad reality about a man who doesn’t have his priorities straight, and loses the chance to love his family because of his bad choices. Through stories that make an emotional connection with listeners, Mangione teaches his listeners what love really means.
However, an exciting notable exception to the love theme in Blood & Water is Mangione’s You Didn’t Come Here Alone. This upbeat song sends a message not of love necessarily, but of compassion for others, and realizing that the world isn’t only your oyster.
Blood & Water’s magnum opus may be Better Days, which follows a slow, mournful story with a heavy backbeat, impressive harmonies, and some amazing guitar riffs. Interestingly, Better Days has a relatively simple instrumentation compared to some other songs on the album, but Mangione’s strong, emotional vocals are what really ties this song together and really makes it groove.
Overall, the order of the songs in Blood & Water keeps the listener engaged the entire way through. The first couple songs keep a very folky, acoustic feel, then he steps into the world of electric guitars and keyboards, only to return to slow, thoughtful music while maintaining the electric sounds. Then, it’s back to a gritty blues with a rocking guitar solo from Larry Campbell and some clever lyrics. This kind of roller coaster continues throughout the album, exciting the listener and then making them reflect on the complexities of life and of love until the very end, where Mangione calls upon the listener to find strength in love and live life to the fullest.
In 11 songs, Mike Mangione makes a compelling argument about loving yourself, others, and the world around you, and tells a story not just through his words, but also the music itself. The music videos available for four of the songs on Blood & Water are also very entertaining and worth the watch while listening to the songs. Some of them add to the sadness of the songs they pair with, and some enhance the thrill, but even without the video, Blood & Water makes for an exciting listen that’s bound to leave you thinking and loving a little bit more.
Written by Evan Cooper