Slant 6 Mind

Slant 6 Mind is Greg Brown’s thirteenth album for Red House Records and one of his most distinctive and celebrated recordings, earning a Grammy nomination. The album has a swampy, funky, lowdown character, moving effortlessly from driving rhythms and gritty blues to sensual folk, country, and quieter, more intimate moments. Brown’s unmistakable baritone and sharply observed storytelling remain at the center, while the earthy production gives the songs a lived-in, distinctly American feel.

The record also features an exceptional trio of guitarists: Brown himself, acclaimed slide guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps, and longtime collaborator Bo Ramsey. Their interplay gives Slant 6 Mind much of its muscular, rootsy character, balancing Brown’s acoustic songwriting with electric grit and bluesy texture. The album’s atmosphere reaches back toward the landscapes and characters of earlier records such as Down in There, evoking the rural Midwest and the people who shaped Brown’s imagination. His writing turns everyday lives, memory, desire, loneliness, and the American landscape into vivid, literary portraits, drawing comparisons to writers and storytellers such as William Faulkner, Bruce Springsteen, and Robert Frost.

Writing for AllMusic, critic Jeff Burger praised the album as “business as usual for Greg Brown,” which, he noted, was “very good news indeed,” emphasizing the singular power of Brown’s voice and songwriting. With its combination of blues, folk, rock, and country influences, Slant 6 Mind captures Brown at a particularly confident point in his career—earthy, sensual, humorous, and emotionally direct.

Greg Brown – vocals, guitar
Bo Ramsey – guitar
Kelly Joe Phelps – guitar
[Additional musicians as credited]