9th Ward Pickin Parlor

9th Ward Pickin Parlor is a 2006 studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins, recorded in Atlanta and in New OrleansNinth Ward before Hurricane Katrina. Singles include "Beautiful Wreck" and "Find Love."

9th Ward Pickin' Parlor is named after the New Orleans recording studio where it was primarily recorded in April 2005. The Pickin' Parlor was a converted 100-year-old shotgun house owned by producer Mike West, located approximately one block from the city's Industrial Canal in the Ninth Ward.^[4] West had previously collaborated with Mullins on his earlier album Soul's Core, and Mullins sought the same raw, unpolished sound for the new project. Mullins described the recording approach as aiming for an "old school" vibe — no loops or samples, live instruments only, prioritizing overall performance feel over note-perfect takes.^[5]

The studio was destroyed when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, just four months after Mullins completed his recording sessions there. Following the disaster, the studio relocated to Lawrence, Kansas.^[6] The album was dedicated to the city of New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.^[7]

The remaining tracks were recorded in Atlanta, with Mullins describing the overall album as "half acoustic and half small band."^[5]

The album spans a wide range of Americana-adjacent styles, including country, folk, rock, Celtic, and gospel.^[8] Lead single "Beautiful Wreck" was co-written with former Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips and singer-songwriter Pete Droge, and carries a pronounced alt-country influence. Other notable tracks include the electrified blues of "Faith," the faintly Celtic "Cold Black Heart," and a closing cover of the traditional standard "House of the Rising Sun," intended as a tribute to New Orleans.^[6]

Mullins ha citado a Kris Kristofferson , James Taylor y Neil Young como sus principales influencias. Señaló que el álbum marcó un cambio con respecto a sus típicas canciones de amor, adentrándose en temas de adversidad y lucha, inspirados en parte por su tiempo en el Noveno Distrito. ^{[ 4 ]}

El álbum recibió una puntuación de Metacritic de 64 sobre 100 basada en múltiples reseñas profesionales. Los críticos destacaron su variedad estilística, y varios lo describieron como uno de los trabajos más coherentes y diversos de Mullins, con elogios particulares para las baladas y su dominio de múltiples subgéneros de Americana. ^{[ 9 ]} Slant Magazine calificó el álbum como una colección sólida y atractiva, describiéndolo como un testimonio indirecto de resiliencia tras el huracán Katrina y una "sorprendente delicia". ^{[ 6 ]} Uncut le otorgó tres de cinco estrellas, elogiando la capacidad de Mullins para aportar garra y pasión a su material, particularmente en la canción final "House of the Rising Sun". ^{[ 10 ]}

1. "Tan azul como tú"
2. "Hermoso naufragio"
3. "Corazón negro y frío"
4. "Fe"
5. "Vino casero"
6. "Hablando de ir a Alaska Blues"
7. "Podríamos volver a empezar"
8. "La canción de Kelly"
9. "Encuentra el amor"
10. "Todos caen"
11. "Bajen sus espadas, muchachos"
12. "Solitario"
13. "La casa del sol naciente"