vanmega.com » home

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

reviewed: raising sand...

I'm well aware that you're not supposed to judge books by their covers... but when I came across that soon to be released Alison Krauss & Robert Plant album, Raising Sand, I was ready to pass. Never mind the actual album cover, the combination of the two performers seemed like a mess. Conceptually, mixing together Plant's weathered bravado with Krauss' angelic voice reminded me of last year's Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan collaboration... which was, for lack of better description, teh worst.

Turns out... I was completely off the mark. The Krauss & Plant collaboration is phenomenal... and may be one the best albums I've heard this year. Both artists hold hands and wade deep into the folk meets blues meets roots meets bluegrass ether. The collection of cover songs which make up Raising Sand are subtle and eloquent, whatever they might lack in volume they make up with gentle timeless grace.

The biggest treat on this album is Robert Plant's voice... you wouldn't even know the guy was once going balls-out, fronting Zeppelin. His delivery is muted, mature and graceful. It feels like he's purposefully stepping his game up to meet and compliment the alto space in which Alison Krauss thrives. It's refreshing and kinda wonderful.

Here's the obligatory mpthreve:

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - Killing The Blues [mp3]

Highly recomended for those who like albums like Heartbreaker, etc.

elsewhere

14 american apparel models freed in daring midnight raid

Labels: alison krauss, mp3, reviewed, robert plant

[ perma-link ]

« read more vanmega »