Home
This Too Shall Light
Barnes and Noble
This Too Shall Light
Current price: $17.99
![This Too Shall Light](https://cdn.mall.adeptmind.ai/https%3A%2F%2Fprodimage.images-bn.com%2Fpimages%2F0634457264328_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg_640x.jpg)
![This Too Shall Light](https://cdn.mall.adeptmind.ai/https%3A%2F%2Fprodimage.images-bn.com%2Fpimages%2F0634457264328_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg_640x.jpg)
Barnes and Noble
This Too Shall Light
Current price: $17.99
Size: OS
Loading Inventory...
*Product information may vary - to confirm product availability, pricing, shipping and return information please contact Barnes and Noble
,
's sophomore solo album, is a logical progression from 2015's excellent
(recorded after three dynamite albums with
), but it's also a marked departure. For starters, she stepped away from her home base in Woodstock to work with producer
in Los Angeles at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, where the
recorded
and the
tracked the immortal "California Dreamin." Second, in order to "meet" these ten tunes directly, she refrained from rehearsing or playing them live beforehand.
played her
's cult classic
, recorded to resemble its many players hanging out and singing in a rundown roadside motel room. This date was cut in four days and the end result captures that spontaneous feel but goes to a deeper level emotionally. The material is uniformly strong; it makes use of many of
's gifts as a singer ranging between country, rock, folk, soul, gospel, and even jazz. Gospel, however, is prevalent, thanks to
's desire to hear a gospel chorus (from three talented backing vocalists) behind her on every song.
The opening title track penned by
's
and
, crosses through sparse, slippery, bluesy rock in the intro before diving headlong into soulful gospel. Its lyrics reference
's "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)," and
travels them to marry hope and caution. The cover of
's "Odetta" is completely revisioned. In the grain of her voice, L.A. singer/songwriter balladry is wed to
's gritty country gospel.
's cascading piano and
's martial snare point her toward an uncertain horizon -- which she embraces.
' "Michigan" is a mournful song of grief and loss painted by
's earthy voice expressing deep loneliness as the green backdrop of the Great Lakes state passes in the rear view. The gritty, funky Southern-style soul on
's "Freedom for the Stallion" marries
's stirring sea of emotion to
' weary-to-the-bone heartbreak. A stellar reading of
's "Mandolin Wind" is delivered with acoustic and electric slide guitar and a honky-tonk piano --
's own mandolin is noticeably absent -- but the romantic ache in her heartworn delivery more than compensates. Her reading of
's "Long Daddy Green" (a song
has loved since childhood) utilizes a blues-haunted B3 in an unorthodox approach to jazz; it's a saloon song of uncommon emotional depth. "The Stones I Throw" was the last single
sang with
before emerging with
. Of all the tracks on
, this and the traditional closer "Gloryland" resonate with
's feel: They balance sacred and corporeal celebration with want, loss, and earthly gratitude. As fine as
was,
better illustrates
's massive talent. ~ Thom Jurek