Keb’ Mo’ — “The Breakdown” — Concord Records
There’s a song titled “More Yesterdays” on “The Breakdown,” Keb’ Mo’s latest album, contemplating the fact that, at 74, he now faces “more yesterdays than tomorrows.”
That could easily be the theme of this heartfelt collection, created following his life-saving heart surgery, the breakup of his 20-year marriage and the thoughtful reflections that followed.
“It felt like everything in my life was breaking down,” Mo’ says. “My health, my relationship, my whole world. The only way I knew how to respond was to break the music down, too.”
It’s Mo’s first solo studio album since 2021’s Grammy-nominated “Good To Be,” although he paired with Taj Mahal for the delightful “Room on the Porch” in 2025, his second TajMo collaboration.
It’s also the first album built almost entirely around Mo’s voice and acoustic guitar, with some vocal contributions from the Soweto Gospel Choir and Take 6. It was recorded at his home studio outside Nashville.
“Breakdown” isn’t really a blues album, leaning more into smoothly picked and sung ballads. But its heart could easily lie in the blues — music that speaks to the human condition, with all its pain and pleasure.
The first track, “Fussing and Fighting,” however, is a chunky, rhythmic blues, a thoughtful inspection of the mysterious ways of love — its beginnings and its endings. “Every Step of the Way” is a light and airy melody behind an optimism about the road ahead. “They Don’t ‘Em Like They Used To,” featuring Take 6, testifies that it’s a “new day” for a woman’s role in the world.
“More Yesterdays” counts the blessings of every moment, with its refrain: “more yesterdays than tomorrows.” “We Make Love” is a gentle reminder that humans not only make multitudinous products, they also make love, peace and compassion. “Waking on Water” is an affirmation of his hope, leading into the gospel-soaked “Hand It Over,” with the Soweto Gospel Chorus.
“Living in the Moment” is a plaintive plea for love in the moment, and “Stitched Up Heart” is a moving musical tribute to his heart surgeon: “No matter where I go, no matter what I do, my stitched-up heart gonna carry me through.” The album closes with “One Day Away,” a reminder to live one day at a time.
Keb’ Mo’ has opened his literally stitched up heart in the confessional tracks of “The Breakdown,” sharing what life has brought him in recent years. Sharing that journey through his musical talents makes it all the more poignant and valuable — both in life and music. Music can be a great healer.
A Keb’ Mo’ memory: This may be his first acoustic album, but it’s not his first acoustic performance. I first saw Keb’ in the summer of 1999, opening for Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at the gorgeous Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta. He walked out without introduction, carrying his guitar and a folding chair. He played a mesmerizing set of acoustic blues, said “Thank you, I’m Keb’ Mo’, and carried his guitar and chair off the stage.
Here’s “Fussing and Fighting” from the album:
Track Listing:
- Fussing and Fighting
- Every Step of the Way
- They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To (feat. Take 6)
- More Yesterdays
- We Make Love
- Walking on Water
- Hand It Over (feat. Soweto Gospel Choir)
- Living in the Moment
- Stitched Up Heart
- One Day Away