I can't really be objective about Patty Griffin. She's been part of my musical journey since my mid-teens, when I heard on the folk programming on the public radio station out of Kent State University, not far from where I lived just outside of Akron, Ohio. Her first album, ‘Living With Ghosts', consisted of her voice, which can move mountains and break hearts, and just her own acoustic guitar. Nearly two decades later, she revisited that formula for the widely-praised ‘American Kid'. (One almost hesitates to use a modifier like “widely-praised” or “critically acclaimed” in reference to a particular album of Griffin's, as there is a subtle implication that this doesn't apply to all her albums, when, in fact, it does apply to all her albums.) This format, which has always worked for Griffin, makes up the bulk of the tracks on ‘Tape', a collection of demos and home recordings,
The music on this album came to me like a warm, caring friend on a hard day, This isn't music you'll bring out for a raging party, but it's the perfect companion for a moment of rest watching the rain or a sitting by a fire. If you're having a rough time, this is an album you can put on, and it will soothe you. If you're already a fan of Patty's, especially, you will find her presence welcome and calming.
Unlike many archival collections, which simply release alternate versions of songs we've already heard, Griffin is giving us new songs. There are some real gems on here, even if the song quality is not necessarily at the highest levels. If anything, the rawness of the recording technology gives these tracks a sense of realness, a feeling that you're really in the room, that you're getting an organic sound. You feel some of the fuzz that exists in a natural sound environment, and it kind of works here.
One of the more interesting tracks is a duet with her former partner Robert Plant, ‘Don't Mind'. Hearing these two together is an absolute treat, and even if there is some imperfection in the engineering of this, the chemistry between this still audible, and the energy is fantastic. ‘Octaves' is a bit of an experiment by Griffin, a completely instrumental piano piece which is hauntingly beautiful, and which would not have fit on any of her previous albums. As a fan who's really invested in this artist, I'm interested in seeing this work, but I also appreciate that we can only get this here. One note of interest: the melody of ‘Little Yellow House' sounds a little like Rodney Crowell's ‘Shame on the Moon', and it wouldn't surprise me if it was an influence.
In her press release for this album, Griffin discussed how she feels, because of her shyness and introversion, that she's able to give her best, most emotionally-inspired performances in the kinds of settings captured on this LP, and I think she's right. The smouldering sensuality of ‘Kiss of a Man', the longing of ‘One Day We Could', and the resolution “Forever Shall Be” are all Griffin at her most poignant.
If you have strong lyrics, a powerful voice, and a compelling melody, you don't need much else. The songs on ‘Tape' have all of these. The performances on ‘Tape' are deeply moving, and the songs here are as strong as anything that Griffin has put out on her other releases over the years. This is not a collection of songs that weren't strong enough to make onto ‘proper' albums. ‘Tape' is every bit a worthy addition to the already formidable catalogue of Patty Griffin's work.
Track listing: 1. Get Lucky 2. One Day We Could 3. Strip of Light 4. Don’t Mind
5. Sundown 6. Little Yellow House 7. Night 8. Kiss of a Man 9. Octaves 10. Forever Shall Be Record label: Thirty Tigers Release date: 10th June 2022 Buy ‘Tape' now
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