new album from Patty Griffin

This past Saturday, Sarah and I spent the afternoon in Ashville, NC. We really enjoyed shopping and enjoying coffee and dinner. I've been trying to track down the latest from Patty Griffin, "Children Running Through," for a few weeks, unsuccessfully slogging through the shops of South Carolina. We left town that night viewing the lunar eclipse over the mountain tops, listening to another masterpiece from Patty.

This is her 5th studio release. With each successive release, she has improved her sound and fine-tuned her voice and songwriting craft. I first got into her music after her first two albums were already out, and I was floored by both of them. The passion in her voice and words cannot be ignored. When her 3rd album, "1,000 Kisses," came out, I was moved. I was at a major point of transition in my life, graduating from college and taking my first professional job. That album became the background of a major change in my lifestyle and perspective. Her next album, "Impossible Dream," was released during my first year in Seattle, a few months before Sarah and I were married. Once again, a major point of transition was wallpapered by the longing vocalizations of Patty, the backup singer to my thoughts and struggles.

So now, she's released another album. After a few listens, I can say that it is at least as good as every one of her previous releases; actually, it seems that she has successfully married the sound and feel of all 4 of her works, creating something wholly new and truly unique. (Who is making music like this out there today? Why aren't more people listening?) It is going to continue to have heavy rotation for at least the next year, maybe more. What I'm left wondering is what major changes will be coming that Patty will likely be accompanying?