Downtown Church

by

Patty Griffin

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I, like lots of others, was a little worried when I heard that Patty Griffin's newest effort was a gospel/spirituals recording. For me, the concern wasn't so much that I dislike the genre, but that I couldn't bear a Patty Griffin album full of someone else's lyrics. Patty is one of our great poets, and the world needs the gift of her words -- weary, wise, and every now and then containing a glimmer of hope and light.

As it turns out, this genre has plenty of that, and Patty Griffin seems right at home on the stage of that downtown Nashville house of worship. "People steal / they cheat and lie..." So begins the record, and over the course of 14 tracks Patty Griffin struggles between light and dark that lives inside us. It's epic, and very, very beautiful.

I know a lot of folks aren't fans of "gospel," but the good news is that this record really has more of an "O Brother" arthouse feel that will play nicely in the kitchen when friends are over.

Check out "Death's Got a Warrant." It's a capella except for the thudding percussion that sounds like God stomping across the floor as he comes after you.

The first time I heard the final track, "All Creatures of our God and King," I had to stop what I was doing. It is so pure and lovely, it almost feels... well, sacred.

The revelation on here is Patty's voice. Honestly, I don't think she has ever sounded this good. "I Smell a Rat" is a showstopper, and man is she is spitting nails. I didn't know she had it in her.

I'm ready to place "Downtown Church" near the top of her brilliant catalog. Like the rest of her work, it is full of sadness and a weary awareness of the darkness around us. But this time she's carrying a fire and although there are never guarantees, a little bit of light just might break through.