Returning to rap after extended sojourns in country and Southern rock,
Upchurch is on comfortable ground on 2021's
Mud to Gold. The settings are so familiar, as is the deep bass bounce, that the dark vibe, profanity, and Southern-fried swagger don't feel especially aggressive. This is
Upchurch's comfort zone and he's been mining this territory so long that there's a certain genial energy to
Mud to Gold, a good-time vibe accentuated by such lighter cuts as "Hitchhike" and the closing "Supernova Soul," which make the most of its vague R&B undercurrents. Those two songs illustrate
Upchurch's musical progression, but the calling card of
Mud to Gold is how it finds him returning to the music that made his bones. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine