Fresh from her induction into the prestigious Nashville Songwriters Hall of
Fame,
Gretchen Peters unveils her new album ‘Blackbirds.’ Co-produced with Doug
Lancio and
Barry Walsh and recorded in Nashville, the album features a who's who of
modern
American roots music: Jerry Douglas, Jason Isbell, Jimmy LaFave, Will Kimbrough,
Kim
Richey, Suzy Bogguss and more. But it's not the guests that make
‘Blackbirds’ the most
poignant and moving album of the GRAMMY-nominee's storied career;
it’s the
impeccable craftsmanship, her ability to capture the kind of complex,
conflicting, and
overwhelming emotional moments we might otherwise try to hide and instead shine
a light of truth and understanding onto them.
In an atypical and unexpectedly rewarding move, Peters teamed with frequent
tour
mate Ben Glover to co-write several tunes on the new album, which evokes the
kind of
1970's folk rock of Neil Young, David Crosby, and Joni Mitchell that Peters
grew up on,
albeit with a more haunted, country-noir vibe simmering just below the
surface.
‘Blackbirds’ follows Peters' 2012 album ‘Hello Cruel World,’ which
NPR called “the
album of her career” and Uncut said “establishes her as the natural
successor to Lucinda
Williams.” If anything, though, ‘Blackbirds’ truly establishes Peters as a
one-of-a-kind
singer and songwriter, one in possession of a fearless and endlessly
creative voice.
Review
Songwriter Gretchen Peters is a go-to for artists seeking material whose
lyric depth matches its hooks. She continually goes into the marrow, revealing
the secrets that result in a song's defining decisions and cathartic actions.
This is especially true on her own recordings. Blackbirds takes these to an
entirely new level, one shared with peers like Mickey Newbury's It Looks Like
Rain and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. Here she explores mortality with an
unflinching gaze through a variety of character perspectives and musical styles.
The album was co-produced by artist and keyboardist Barry Walsh and guitarist
Doug Lancio (bassist Dave Roe and drummer Nick Buda are the core band on a set
featuring numerous guests). The title is a murder ballad co-written with Ben
Glover. Lancio's grimy, distorted guitar recalls Neil Young's with Crazy
Horse. Walsh's organ and Will Kimbrough's slide mandola color a brooding
narrative that explodes in its startlingly unrepentant chorus and conclusion.
“When All You Got Is a Hammer” is a rocker with Kimbrough tempering the
tension with his charango. Jerry Douglas adds dobro and Jason Isbell a backing
vocal in this chilling tale of a veteran unable to cope: “Well they show you
how to shoot and they show you how to kill/But they don't show what to do with
this hole you can't fill…” Poignancy is just as resonant on songs that
contain gentler arrangements. “The House on Auburn Street” – with Kim
Richey on backing vocals – is a lilting tome to an absent friend. It frames
the irony of suburban America as the mirror for darkness, addiction, and
violence. The roaming Americana in “When You Comin' Home” features a duet
with Jimmy LaFave. Its story is of lovers estranged because one is stuck in the
cage of street life and substance abuse. On “Jubilee,” Peters sings country
gospel accompanied only by Walsh's gospel piano and David Henry's cello. Her
protagonist accepts death as a freedom of the spirit, made whole by love from
the prison of the body. “Black Ribbons” is a brooding Cajun-tinged
folk-blues that evolves into a roiling rocker. Pump organ, accordion, electric
guitars, banjo, and drums fuel the tale of a man saying a dark and helpless
goodbye to his wife in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – it's not clear
whether it was the storm or hopelessness that took her life. The lone cover
here, David Mead's tender but steely “Nashville,” is about another kind of
death – that of a relationship. “The Cure for the Pain” is set in a
hospital room during the waning moments of life. The protagonist experiences
anger and moves to acceptance and the peace that comes with it. While it would
be a fitting conclusion, Peters, a Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Famer, knows
that life is messy. The title song is reprised with a different arrangement as a
bookend. Blackbirds may be dark and unsettling, but it's far from depressing.
It is a profound, poetic, career-defining album from a singer and songwriter of
the highest order.