Robert Cray announces first new album in seven years
Five-time Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist and vocalist Robert Cray has announced his first new album in seven years. All Over Again will be released February 12, 2027, via Thirty Tigers.
Produced by longtime collaborator Steve Jordan and recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the album finds Cray addressing America’s racial history, political divisions and the country’s future through his signature blend of blues, soul and R&B.
“1965, when voting rights for Black people were enacted, wasn’t that long ago,” says Cray. “I turned 12 that year, and my parents were finally able to vote. I’m not the first to write these types of songs. But I know why they are written — it’s just too bad that we have to.”
The album’s new single, “Push Through,” addresses the current political climate and calls for Americans to defend voting rights and the progress made during the civil rights movement.
“We have the right to choose what we demand. Just get out the vote and on the streets and stand,” Cray sings on the track.
The recording sessions in Muscle Shoals also held personal significance for Cray. At age seven, he and his siblings spent several months living with their grandmother in Alabama before joining their father, who was stationed in Germany. During that time, Cray experienced segregation firsthand, including separate schools and drinking fountains.
Returning to Alabama decades later provided an opportunity to reflect on those experiences and their connections to the country’s current political divisions.
All Over Again reunites Cray with Jordan, whose musical relationship dates back to 1986. The two musicians were recruited by Keith Richards to perform with Chuck Berry for the concert film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Several songs on the album address personal and political subjects. “With Everyone” pays tribute to Cray’s mother, Maggie Cray, who died in 2020, while also examining the country’s political climate. “Long Way Home” explores the consequences of dishonesty and division, while “Tacky Wack” offers criticism of the current presidential administration.
The album also features Cray’s interpretations of three classic R&B recordings: Wilson Pickett’s “For Better Or Worse,” Bobby Womack’s “I’m In Love” and Jimmy Hughes’ “Neighbor, Neighbor.”
The closing track, “Soul Shot,” celebrates the musicians and recordings that established Muscle Shoals as an important center of American soul music. The song was co-written by Cray, Jordan, pianist Clayton Ivey and organist Spooner Oldham.
Throughout his career, Cray has worked with numerous blues and rock legends, including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry and The Rolling Stones. His recordings have earned multiple Grammy Awards and helped establish him as one of the leading figures in contemporary blues.
With All Over Again, Cray continues to use his music to address social issues while drawing on the blues and soul traditions that have shaped his career.
“We move forward,” Cray says. “We don’t move back.”
