Ever since her breakthrough debut, Just Won’t Burn, it was evident that Susan Tedeschi would become one of her generation’s preeminent blues artists. But it is on her sixth album, Back to the River, that she truly sets herself apart from her peers, sheds the fair-weather comparisons to Bonnie Raitt, and cements her place at the table.

Masterfully executed by producer George Drakoulias (The Black Crowes, Tom Petty), Back to the River brims with blistering, foot-stomping blues, heartfelt ballads, soaring R&B, and gritty, percolating funk. It’s clear from the raw spark and full-throated wail of the album’s opening track, “Talking,” that Tedeschi has no plans of holding anything back. More than any other album in her catalog, she absolutely owns this record. Also unlike any of her previous releases, her songwriting skills—she wrote or co-wrote 10 of River’s 11 tracks—share equal billing with her guitar and vocal chops.

The title track, co-written with Louisiana legend Tony Joe White, is greasy, southern-fried funk at its best, complete with howling guitars, bellowing organ, and snappy drum jabs. Throughout, appearances by several special guests including husband Derek Trucks help to establish River’s flow. His lyrical slide glimmers alongside her earthy vocals to deliver the uplifting, socially conscious message of “People.” The heavy-handed ballad “Revolutionize Your Soul” is River’s only wrong turn, as its gospel fervor and political undertones feel contrived. But the immaculately written “700 Houses” is a gem that carries with it a gripping, cathartic remembrance of Hurricane Katrina that is sure to live on. The albums sole cover is Allen Toussaint’s funky strut, “There’s a Brick in the Road”—Now you can’t go wrong with that!