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Nanci Griffith

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This was my first Nanci Griffith album, and it was something of a gamble (she has her share of critics). But I definitely won in a big way. This album has grown on me so tremendously. This album features an assortment of songs from a long line of great American songwriters (frequently the songwriter is on the track somewhere). The combination of vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation is pure, natural, unforced beauty. The production is clean, bright, and straightforward; no gimmicks or interference. This album is perfect for its genre.

Right now, I can't even name the standout tracks. This is a very rare example of an album that is full of standout tracks; not a weak moment from start to finish (and running at just over an hour, with 17 tracks, that's no small feat). True, no new ground is being broken here, but that's exactly the point. It's back to the basics, yet still fresh and modern. Its beauty and simplicity is wonderfully infectious.

If this sounds even slightly interesting to you, then I think you're likely to enjoy it. Why this 1993 album isn't priced higher is beyond me. So take advantage of it while you can.

This is the first Nanci Griffith album I've bought. It's a good album. The instruments are very nice and expressive, the selection of other folk's songs is impeccable, and it has a very natural, relaxed feel to it.

Unfortunately, I have a hard time with Nanci's voice. It is frequently just out of tune enough for me to notice, and cringe. Mind you, it's not *really* off key. It's just off slightly (usually flat, especially when she tries to hit the high notes), just enough for it to start really annoying me after a while.

The other thing is, don't buy a Nanci Griffith album if you expect someone that can sing in a full, rich voice with a nice vibrato, like Joan Baez. Nanci's voice is more "little girlish," and somewhat thin, relatively speaking. To me, it is more along the lines of Kate and Anna McGarrigle. I guess I prefer female singers with a little bit more fullness, more "adult female" sound to their voices.

That said, listen to the clips and decide for yourself. There is no denying that the song selection is a good one. The rendition of "Tecumseh Valley" is very nice, to mention one example.