Babaux and The Peacemakers album "Keep Both Hands On The Wheel" review.

Artist: Babaux and The Peacemakers

Album: Keep Both Hand On The Wheel

Released: 2025

Artist Website: https://babaux.com/news

"Keep Both Hands On The Wheel" is the third release from Colorado based Babaux and The Peacemakers. The nine song set clocks in at 36 minutes with lots to offer fans of blues and roots music. It is the first release for the band on Guitar One Records and it is as solid as it gets. The band is led by Christian Basso (aka Babaux) who serves as the singer/songwriter and resonator guitar man. The Peacemakers are Eric Martinez on lead guitar, bassist Mike Davidov and drummer Jake Herman. To say the least it is a very competent outfit.

Steal You Love is the first track on the album and sets the pace for what is coming down the pike. The band has as much blues in them as they do anything else, but it's not a straight blues act by any means. This cut has strong shades of southern rock in it. Hints of The Allmann Brothers and the deep cuts of Lynyrd Skynyrd are quite apparent. Not so much the hits that have become part of the soundtrack of many of our lives, but the hidden gems that lie on the B sides! The songs that die hard music fans always gravitate to.

Speaking of the deep cuts... Take The Hand Given embodies that label impeccably. This 3 minute track is an absolute home run on every level. It is soulful and performed with patience and 100% conviction. The band lays deep in the pocket and moves gracefully from a whisper to a roar working the dynamics as hard as can be. The performance is quite loose without ever feeling like it's going to fall apart, walking that tightrope between solid and liquid as well as anybody can.

After multiple listens to this release the second track Hardly Living is the one that catches this writer's ear as the cut that embodies the overall vibe of this release. The band again is sitting in a deep pocket creating a fantastic pallet for a smoky unique vocal performance. Many singers force the raspy vocal out that seems to be just a relaxed delivery from vocalist Babaux. It makes me wonder if he's been smoking three packs of unfiltered Camel cigarettes since kindergarten. Whatever got him to this place is clearly working.

This album, just like their previous two releases, offers the listener something that is not only good, but quite unique and instantly identifiable. There is no shortage of  good bands, but a tremendous shortage of ones that are different. There is a patience and maturity to this band that is special. They have so many ingredients in the mix that it is hard to imagine a fan of any roots music wouldn't find something here to like. They embrace the WHOLE roots sound with both feet in the blues, jam bands, americana and pretty much anything else that came from the southern american music scene of the last 60 years. There are hints of Laurel Canyon influences in the songwriting, but Babaux and The Peacemakers are far more soulful. The presence of the slide guitar and deeply raspy vocal throughout brings it much closer to the Muscle Shoals sound than anything that came from west of the Mississippi. This is a band of old souls and this album is the strongest of their three releases. I highly recommend giving it a listen!

Check out the interview below!

Tell us the brief history of your band or musical career.

A seasoned funk bassist, I have toured extensively with genre legends like Bo Diddley, Leo Nocentelli of The Meters, Papa Mali, and Eric Lindell, and have shared the stage with New Orleans heavyweights Dumpstafunk, Papa Grows Funk, and the Wild Magnolias. In 2022, I founded Babaux and the Peacemakers to explore a different side of my musical heritage. Trading the bass for the dobro, this project is a return to the Piedmont Blues I was raised on in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, channeling the influence of artists like John Jackson into a new path of songwriting.

Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

My musical foundation is built on the blues and rock guitarists I discovered early on, from the Piedmont fingerstyle of John Jackson to the fiery virtuosity of Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Danny Gatton. In college, my sonic palette expanded with the genre-bending grooves of G. Love & Special Sauce and the atmospheric textures of Morphine. This eventually led me to a deep immersion in New Orleans rhythm, where The Meters became the primary inspiration for my career in funk. Today, I'm most drawn to master storytellers, and my songwriting is heavily influenced by the authenticity and craft of artists like Brent Cobb, Chris Stapleton, and Tyler Childers.

What album has had the greatest impact on your life as a musician?

Chris Whitely’s Living with the Law.

Is there a particular song that has resonated with you for a long time?

Dust Radio by Chris Whitely still hits me hard.

What’s your favorite accomplishment as a musician thus far?

Being able to play and converse with Bo Diddley is still inspiring to me. I loved to be able to hear what he had to say about the music industry and being an innovator within the music industry.

Tell me about your favorite performance in your career.

I would have to say playing the House of Blues in New Orleans with Leo Nocentelli was a dream come true. I have always been in awe of Leo’s guitar playing style, it is like he is playing rhythm and lead at the same time, seamlessly. To play songs like Just Kissed My Baby, Cissy Strut, Ain’t No Use, Reform and Pocky Way knocked my socks off.

What's the best piece of advice another musician ever gave you?

That would be the advice I received from Bo Diddley as we spoke about song writing and he told me to “stay honest and be yourself and good things will happen”.

What's new in the recording of your music?

With our new record, Both Hands on the Wheel, our main goal was to expand our sonic palette. While our first two albums, Lucky 13 and Moments in Time, were intentionally more stripped-down, we envisioned these new songs with richer, more layered arrangements.

To achieve that, we brought in a team of incredible guest musicians to add new textures. We were thrilled to have CR Gruver of the New Orleans Suspects contribute his classic Hammond B3 sound. Pete Wall wrote and performed a fantastic baritone sax line for "Walk the Mile," and the talented Sami Montoya added fiddle to "Steal Your Love" and "Release Yourself." Even our recording engineer, Ben Waligoske of Clubhouse Records, jumped in with some perfect steel guitar parts. The album is capped off by soulful vocals from Andrea Ware on "Hardly Living"—she wrote and arranged a beautiful choir part that really elevates the song’s emotional impact.

How has your music changed over the years?

The most obvious change has been the sonic shift from funk to roots rock, but that's really a reflection of a deeper evolution in my songwriting. In my earlier work, the focus was often on the groove and the ensemble. Now, the priority is the song itself—the story and the lyrics. I've focused on writing from a more personal, honest place, and I find that the roots-rock framework really supports that kind of storytelling. As a result, I've cultivated a more distinct voice and a sound that feels truly my own. For me, music is a lifelong journey; while my creative process remains consistent, the outcome—the music—will always evolve as I do.

What inspires you to write the music you write?

My songs reflect my life experiences. I believe that life is constantly evolving, and there's always movement, change, and voices waiting to be heard. What inspires me most is being open and receptive to those moments, whether it is through observing the world around me or listening to my own inner thoughts and emotions. Writing music becomes a way to process and share those experiences, connecting with others who may relate to the stories I am telling.

What made you want to play the instrument you play?

I was drawn to the resonator guitar because of the sounds that can be created with the slide. Listening to players like Chris Whitely, John Lee Hooker and Derek Trucks was all it took.

How would your previous band mates describe you and your work ethic?

I think they know that I am serious about writing and performing the music that we create together. They know I am dedicated to the process and that I realize that each band member has individual gifts to contribute to that process. If we surround ourselves with individuals who respect the process of making honest music, we are in for a long music career.

What does your practice routine consist of?

I try to write every day. Sometimes I hit the jackpot and sometimes nothing happens but the dailyness of the process is important and we are rewarded for that effort with new ideas whether they be musical or lyrical or a combination of both.

What do you like most about your new album?

I guess I am a historian at heart because I love how albums capture distinct stages of the life I share with others.

What is the best way to stay updated on current news; gigs, releases, etc.

Go to our website www.babaux.com for all current band information and visit our store for vinyl and download sales. Check often because we love to poste free downloads for a limited time.

Anything you would like to share, from new merch to upcoming shows/tours or songs/albums?

We will be kicking off the live performance support of our new album on November 16th in Denver Colorado at the Oriental Theatre.

What's next for your band?

We are going to promote Keep Both Hands on the Wheel and recently agreed to work with a booking agent who focuses on festival performances.