For
one reason or another, I’ve never really heard that much
of Nanci Griffith’s work before – this despite the
fact that Intersection is her twentieth album. My bad, though
possibly a reflection of the insular nature of the British music
scene. But that does mean that I can’t make any comparisons
with past works here, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing
– after all, music should be judged on its own merits, not
past glories.
However, I will be seeking out more of her work after this.
Opening with Bethlehem Steel –
the story of the closing of a steel mill in the town where The
Deer Hunter was filmed – this is a striking collection
of songs that range from the deeply personal to stories of pain
and regret; personal stuff indeed. There are (almost) traditional
country songs like Waiting on a Dark Eyed Gal
and surprisingly defiant rock ‘n’ roll in the aggressively
bitter Hell No (I’m Not Alright)
– conflicting moments of musical light and shade that are
brought together by lyrical intimacy. Stripped back to the basics,
even the songs that Griffith didn’t write – Mark Seliger’s
Never Going Back, Loretta Lynn’s
High on a Mountain Top – feel
as though they belong to her.
This is not easy listening in any conventional sense, no matter
how gentle the music might seem, and that’s no bad thing.
Potent stuff, and well worth checking out.
For
one reason or another, I’ve never really heard that much
of Nanci Griffith’s work before – this despite the
fact that Intersection is her twentieth album. My bad, though
possibly a reflection of the insular nature of the British music
scene. But that does mean that I can’t make any comparisons
with past works here, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing
– after all, music should be judged on its own merits, not
past glories.
