Patty Griffin Releases Ninth Studio Album
Americana veteran Patty Griffin has done it again. However, Servant of Love is unlike any of her previous albums. Its sound is driven by Griffin’s tone and the way she sings each track, and that paired with her choice of instruments and lyrics is what makes it her most creative work yet.
Rich lyrics are typical for Griffin, but it’s the way in which she sings them that really engages her audience. She evokes emotion through the tone of her voice. As she sings in the title track, her voice floats along with the piano, and takes the listener along for the ride. She is moody and pensive throughout the ballad and that sound resonates, as does her sound in the second track, “Noble Ground.” With the elegant combination of a piano and trumpet, “Noble Ground” has a bluesy, almost jazz-like feel to it. Regardless of the slower melody, Griffin still brings passion into the song.
Not all songs on the album are as slow and somber. “Gunpowder” explodes in comparison, speeding up the pace, as does the edgy “Snake Charmer” and “There Isn’t One Way,” with the latter’s use of electric guitar, bass and drums. Even with the quick pace of these songs, the prominence of Griffin’s soulful singing is impossible to miss.
Her lyrics do not disappoint either, with story-telling throughout the album that makes it hard not to listen. Songs like “Good and Gone” and “Hurt a Little While” are about failing relationships, but throughout the album she doesn’t just sing about the love and loss in romantic relationships. “250,000 Miles” is about a mother-daughter relationship, and “Shine a Different Way” is about looking at things from a different perspective. “Rider of Days,” the album’s first single, is another light track about moving on and continuing through life.
Another track, “Made of the Sun” is reflective: “While I dream of you, we’re sitting near the window / laughing, bathing in the winter sun. / If I had to choose one moment for forever / my friend, I tell you, that would be the one.” No matter the topic, Griffin evokes a feeling of peace in each of her songs. She keeps everything honest, which is what makes Servant of Love work—whether happy or sad, each track feels whole.
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