Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds – Mutiny After Midnight

Sturgill Simpson is a country music weirdo, and I love it. This is his second album under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies. The first one, 2024’s Passage du Desir, had a yacht rock vibe; this one, Simpson describes as a dance album. I call it country funk as the music blends funk, R&B, and 1970s-style dance music with Simpson’s iconic country vocals. The mix is deliberately muddy, giving it a swamp rock vibe. Lyrically, it offers political commentary, encourages mutiny, and explores love and lust.

Sturgill has taken an interesting release approach by initially releasing the album as a physical-only project (vinyl, CD, and cassette) to support independent record stores. However, he briefly leaked the full album himself on YouTube as a teaser before its official launch, then pulled it down before release day. Simpson claims that Mutiny After Midnight will be on streaming services (likely with bonus tracks) in four to six weeks after the 3/13/26 release date. I am a vinyl guy and buy physical albums of my favorite releases, but even I miss the option to stream. Fortunately, I am among the half of consumers who can play music the old-school way.

The band features his amazing touring band, The Dark Clouds: Laur Joamets (guitar), Robbie Crowell (keys/sax), Kevin Black (bass), and Miles Miller (drums). I had the privilege of seeing that band live in support of Passage du Desir three times in a year, and they are fantastic. Robbie Crowell’s sax is the MVP on Mutiny After Midnight.

The album opens with “Make America Fuk Again,” which has a funky groove and combines political commentary with self-reflection. The country and the protagonist are a mess, and this song sets the table for the rest of the album, both musically and lyrically.

“Excited Delirium” is a Stones-influenced boogie that is a timely condemnation of militarized policing and excessive force:

Why you dressed up like a soldier?
What the hell are you wearing a face mask for?
How the hell are you gonna protect the peace
Running ’round looking like you’re going to war?

“Don’t Let Go” is a gorgeous love song with a country music feel. This is not a fling, but a long-term relationship. Per the internet, it is about Simpson’s wife, Sarah.

“Stay On That” is a funky song about hot sex. We can all wonder what “Stay on that D, baby, ’til you hit that G” means, but I don’t think it is a chord change.

“Viridescent” is an adjective meaning greenish, slightly green, or tending to become green.  It is a love song presented in a classic rock style.

“Situation” is an amazing psychedelic funk piece about lusty infatuation.

“Venus” is a funky song about love and the god of love.

“Everyone Is Welcome” is about what the narrator used to believe, no longer believes, and now believes: “Life’s better fluid like sexuality.” Amazing sax all over this track.

“Ain’t That A Bitch” ends the album on a political note: “The poor stay poor, and the rich get rich/Nothing ever changes ain’t that a bitch.” Musically, it reminds me of The Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Sturgill has an impressive catalog, and he may have managed to top himself with Mutiny After Midnight. He makes protest songs feel like a party. This is the perfect album for our crazy times as we:

Spend all our time watching a bad cartoon
In a ill-fitting suit grabbing women by the poon