Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
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Free Music Notes for Children Running Through
Free Music Review: Griffin makes 'heavenly' return
Hit: 5 Stars
Originally printed 01/25/2007 (Issue 1504 - Between The Lines News)
The bare bass and brushed drums tiptoe in. Patty Griffin boldly lets out a blues-infused repetitive line: "You'll remember." And she's right.
We will.
On Griffin's fifth accomplished piece "Children Running Through," she parts the sad shroud and, with the help of producer Mike McCarthy, brews a 12-track R&B-, soul- and rock-infused pot.
Though known widely in the folk forum, Griffin's solid songcrafting and luscious melodies have attracted covers from the Dixie Chicks and, oddly enough, Jessica Simpson.
That shouldn't come as a surprise. All of Griffin's albums, from the acoustic-driven starkness of "Living With Ghosts" to the ethereal, richly layered "Impossible Dream," are delicately crafted and usually drastically different.
But "Children" tosses all of her musical styles into a blender. And, when she presses power, we're left with a melting pot of multiple personalities where Griffin sounds sad ("Crying Over"), saucy ("Getting Ready") and sweet ("Burgundy Shoes").
Lyrically, "Shoes" is simple. Griffin's intentionally juvenile lyrics drive a carefree cut of a mother and daughter, who signifies simplicity and innocence with symbols like the sun and shoes. From the girl's viewpoint, Griffin paints a fleeting, yet memorable, moment as the youngster calls her mother "the most pretty lady in the world." Her voice is hushed until she busts out with the gleaming repetition of "sun" over a bassline that gives the solo piano a soaring sound.
On lead single "Heavenly Day," equally as charming, subtle keyboards create a soothing slow-dance swaying song. "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)," a gospel-tinged tune referencing Martin Luther King Jr.'s renowned speech, ignites with Griffin's disciplined vibrato and fuses with a touching falsetto. Emmylou Harris lends her smooth soprano to "Trapeze," where her voice and Griffin's go down as easy as cranberry and Vodka.
Acoustic guitar ditty "Crying Over" wouldn't seem out of place on her demo-ish debut. While "No Bad News," a politically charged tune (perhaps a Bush bashing?) with DeVotchKa ("Little Miss Sunshine" soundtrack) influences, and "Getting Ready" - if more musically layered - would blend into her rocking "Flaming Red."
Each of Griffin's albums, whether she belted about the tragic suicide of a gay classmate ("Tony") or softly sang as a dying man regretting his life ("Top of the World"), retain her most powerful possession: her voice.
The same raw one that could melt ice.
Though songwriting remains rugged on "Children Running Through" (still, not as clever as on her previous outing, "Impossible Dream"), her voice, which appropriately breaks from breathy to bold, meanders through new pastures.
And it's one that simply doesn't run through them.
It stays.
Free Music Review: An Artist at Her Peak
Hit: 5 Stars
Patty Griffin is an incredible writer, singer and performer. I have been a fan of hers for about 6 years. My love of her music has been fairly consistent, although I have doubted for awhile whether she'd ever release a true classic record. I absolutely adored 1,000 Kisses, but maybe because it's got more of a consistently melancholy mood, it's always seemed to be more of a niche record for Patty. With Children Running Through, Patty's hit paydirt.
Much like Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is the standard for Lucinda Williams, this record will always be the one that other Patty records are judged against. Sure, certain fans will always prefer Living With Ghosts. Some may prefer 1,000 Kisses or Flaming Red, but to the vast majority of music fans, Children Running Through will be the one great Patty record.
Maybe it's the production. It all just sounds so great. Each song seems to have been a success in achieving what it set out to achieve. Patty's a jazzy crooner on the opener "You'll Remember", a funky rapper on "Stay on the Ride", a folk storyteller on "Trapeze", a bona fide rocker on "Getting Ready", a piano balladeer on "Burgundy Shoes" and a Sam Cooke styled soul singer on "Heavenly Day" and that's just the first half of the record.
She's dabbled in most of these styles at times throughout her career, but in each case never more successfully than here. While many loved her rocking out on the title track to "Flaming Red", she's clearly brought her rock to new heights with "Getting Ready". Her Emmylou duet on "Trapeze" is as gorgeous a song as she's ever done, and as piano ballads go, none rank with "Burgundy Shoes".
Tracks 7-12 are a little less diverse than the lead 6 tracks, although "No Bad News" sounds like a perfect choice for the next Dixie Chicks single to me; a toe tapping countryish rocker with an infectious acoustic guitar riff driving it home. Apparently, this song is inspired by none other than our president, which only makes the song more enjoyable for me.
I can continue discussing the record track by track, but really there's no point. Patty's incomparable as a songwriter - she writes great melodies, thoughtful lyrics and does a wonderful job putting these songs together. Then this record, really for the first time, reveals her incredible singing - in all the varying styles I mentioned - and it is just a beatifully produced record. The strings, the percussion, the piano, all fit the songs just about as perfect as possible.
The only way Patty can sound better than on Children Running Through is in a live setting. If you get a chance to see her reveal that voice live, don't miss it. It's a real event.
Free Music Review: Children Running Through
Hit: 5 Stars
With her skirt caught on a country fence Patty Griffin cares not that it might tear during the course of the album as she heads off confidently towards other territories without the slightest loss of authority.
This is Patty at her best, laying into her open-tuned guitar one minute with such a ferocity and next stroking it tenderly as if its heart might break at any moment.
As always the lyrics and music are coterminous but this time she seems to have raised the bar and met the challenge.
It all begins with the wistfully jazz-tinged 'YOU'LL REMEMBER' which then jumps into a bluesy gear complete with brass for 'STAY ON THE RIDE' followed by a more country route with Emmylou Harris helping out on 'TRAPEZE'.
'GETTING READY' is a hard-strummed driven track that harkens back to Dylan in his heyday. Then of a sudden it all stops for a piano ballad 'BURGUNDY SHOES' that nostalgically pleads for the sun during its string-soaked chorus.
And then comes the beautifully soulful 6/8 'HEAVENLY DAY' full of Elysium images. Just when you think it can't get much better than this Patty then pulls 'NO BAD NEWS' out of the hat. It's a rip-roaring open-stringed attack-track so simply constructed where less-is-more couldn't be more apposite. Play this as loud as your neighbours will allow - this is the song where you'll be reaching for the repeat button. Listen how the mexican-influenced brass jumps in out of nowhere to such surprise and delight.
A pause of excitement after this for the intimate melancholicy of 'RAILROAD WINGS'. Next a gospel piano introducing 'UP TO THE MOUNTAIN' with its gorgeous lyric parading the worn-out soul. The tempo remains down for 'I DON'T EVER GIVE UP' where Patty is eloquently refusing to succumb to the bitterness of life.
'SOMEONE ELSE'S TOMORROW' tells us how our own memories are replaced by someone else's tomorrow.
And finally 'CRYIN OVER' is another down-tempo, this time in 3/4, pleading for a release through the warmth of love.
A truly magnificent album full of integrity and vision. And of course, not to forget mentioning the extremely high standard of musicianship from all those accompanying Patty.
Free Music Review: Patty Griffin at Her Most Diverse
Hit: 5 Stars
I love Patty Griffin. And just when I think she can't top what she's already done, she's done it with "Children Running Through." The CD is by far the most musically diverse of her CD's and her incredible song writing shines through with every track.
The CD opens with the first of the many new words I'll use in describing Patty Griffin: sultry. "You'll Remember" has a haunting, slinky bass line and some downright sexy vocals that remind me of vintage Cowboy Junkies.
The next song, "Stay on the Ride" could well be my favorite Patty Griffin song ever. It's got everything. The lyrics create one her most vivid song characters since "Chief" from "1,000 Kisses". It's bluesy a la Bob Dylan and has a sweet horn section that puts it over the top.
"Trapeze" is yet another great character song. It's a beautiful waltz number, and, as if Patty Griffin's angelic voice weren't enough, Emmylou Harris joins in on backing vocals.
In this song and "Let You Go" Griffin belts out the vocals with wild abandon and grit. "Flaming Red," one of her earlier CD's has some rocking numbers, but on this CD, when she lets go it has a much heartier feel... she seems more comfortable and confident with her belting.
The CD also employs a wide variety of instrumentation. "Stay the Ride" has the slick horn section, and "No Bad News" has almost a mariachi feel. Two other tracks, "I Don't Ever Give Up" and "Crying Over" feature beautiful string arrangements.
The only song that really doesn't grab me is "Railroad Wings." Not because it's not a great song, but the lyrics processed in my brain like so many Fall Out Boy songs. The first time I heard it I wondered why Patty Griffin would be singing about dress designer Vera Wang. Then I wondered how many other heterosexual males know who Vera Wang is.
From start to finish, "Children Running Through" has everything one could hope to find in a Patty Griffin CD. The joy is discovering there's more of her here than we've ever really heard before.
Free Music Review: Another Excellent Disc.
Hit: 5 Stars
Patty Griffin has been covered by everyone from The Dixie Chicks, to Solomon Burke to The Wreckers to (Lawd) Jessica Simpson, but one thing remains clear ... Griffin is a true artist with words -- and her voice isn't shabby either. What other artists do with her material pales in contrast to Griffin's clear as a bell tone and style. She runs the gamut on this disc from folk to simmering gospel.
"Stay on the Ride" and "You'll Remember" show Griffin at her best, all low key, just letting the music and atmosphere do all the work. But unlike her last disc this one seems to be about taking things a step further and contemplating life and all its problems, but her voice still has the quiet sharpness to it that makes you listen and hang on to her every word. But she does have her weak spots too. Like a lot of other artists out there now, Griffin's voice is not a huge instrument, "Up On the Mountain" is out of her comfort zone and when she goes for the money notes she can't hit them with enough power as she wants. "Up On the Mountain" is a Gospel burner but it lacks the fire that it needs. This reminds me of her male equal -- Raul Malo another gifted songwriter and singer who totally falls flat on his face when singing Gospel. Their voices just lack that punch and grit to pull it off even though they both are adept and leaps and bounds above what most of their peers are doing.
Griffin's latest belongs next to all of her other CDs, and is a great mix of styles. You can't keep a great artist down, even though two of her discs were shelved for not being "with it" enough, she knows that its the music that will sustain the times and not the other way around.