release date: Sep. 4, 2020
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Grant-Lee Phillips
label: Yep Roc Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Ain't Done Yet" - 2. "Drawing the Head" - 3. "Lowest Low" (live acoustic) - 4. "Leave a Light On" (live acoustic) - 5. "Mourning Dove" - 6. "Sometimes You Wake Up in Charleston" - 7. "Gather Up" - 8. "Straight to the Ground" - 10. "Walking in My Sleep"
10th studio album by Grant-Lee Phillips follows 2½ years after Widdershins (Mar. 2018), which showed us an upset Phillips on behalf of his fellow Americans regarding the election of the 45th president. Since then, COVID-19 happened, and here Phillips is back in his more introspective corner with ten songs about the fragility of life and the small things in everyday routines. It's alt. country and singer / songwriter folk songs more than anything else - and a bit of contrast to his 2018 album and follows more directly on the path laid on with The Narrows (2016).
No matter how he constructs a new album, he always makes sure to include a varied songlist, and here you'll also find more uptempo tracks, which only makes more appetising. A song like "Gather Up" is almost a Tom Waits kind of thing that lights up when it tends to darken, and I really like his approach as it doesn't appear inconsistent but only varied.
With this, Phillips almost proves he's unable to make a poor album. It's always highly original and something you need to pay attention to. The songs are fluid, in essense straight-forward and purposeful.
It's... nice and fine, and recommended!
[ allmusic.com, Uncut 3,5 / 5, Mojo 4 / 5, American Songwriter 4,5 / 5 stars ]
