Much like the ever-changing Moon, the second installment of the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s I Am The Moon anthology shifts topical focus within the four-part collection’s musical cycle. Away from the nascent tones of I. Crescent towards more reflective, and at times brooding temperaments, the band mixes blues with soul, western jazz with eastern hints, and throws in many lush vocal arrangements all without flooding the mix. Maximizing the best 12-piece lineup in rock, TTB conjures feelings both elated and resigned, weaving mature observations of love and relationships throughout the set.
Guitar aficionados will gravitate towards Trucks’s interludes and instrumentals, and along with Tedeschi’s gruff, sparkling vocals, they vie for center stage. The yin and yang of their musical interplay always compliments without competing; in fact all musicians contribute in perfect portions. Great songwriting throughout makes it difficult to pick a couple standout tracks, but the resonator revival that is “So Long Savior” and dreamlike “Hold The Line” come to mind.
With over-production, facile structures, and a growing reliance on studio gimmickry dominating modern airplay, TTB somehow continues to create fantastic organic music that remains relevant while maintaining a timeless quality. I Am The Moon: II. Ascension works as a standalone album, as a sequel to I. Crescent, and as a harbinger of an excellent conclusion to the ambitious musical movement. It is one of 2022’s best efforts to date.