CD Review: Patty Griffin-1000 Kisses

I picked up the latest CD by Patty Griffin this weekend. I’d heard her name tossed around but never had the chance to listen to any of her songs. But after reading an endorsement by one of my personal favorite songwriters, Bruce Cockburn, I figured I’d pay my money and take my chance.

After getting home and ripping the cd so I could listen to the songs on my ipod, I wondered out into the great outdoors, headphones in place. To be frank, I was really disappointed with the record. Patty obviously has a lot of talent and has studied song crafting, and I think that may partially be at the root of why I don’t care for the record.

By all indications I should like this record. The production is sparse and not overblown. The songs are relatively simple and she has a compelling voice. After listening to the cd thru three times (although I must admit that I did skip a few songs after about a minute of listening to them the second and third time thru) the only songs I can remember are two of the covers: Bruce Springsteen’s "Stolen Car" and "Tomorrow Night." Listening to the record I’m just kind of left waiting for the next song so I can "get it." But it never comes and I’m still left waiting.

As I listen to Patty’s songs I just get vibe that Patty is writing her songs for someone else to sing, something I hear a lot in Nashville songwriters. I think that there is a big difference between writing a song that someone else can sing and writing a song for someone else to sing. So much of what I hear coming out of the songwriters making the rounds in Nashville smacks of this dilemma. They are so busy trying to write a hit, or something with universal appeal, that they get lost in the trees. When Woody Allen is asked by the Hollywood producer in his latest movie what demographics his film will appeal to, Allen says… “Demographics, isn’t that the idea that everyone in America suddenly became stupid?” Patty’s record isn’t stupid, I just get the impression that someone has been asking her demographic questions.

The cd kicks off with the well crafted “Rain”. It sounds like it could be a song on any number of country artists cd’s, with just a little different treatment. Nice repetitive hooks and introspective. It’s a well crafted Nashville sounding song. And that’s what just doesn’t work for me on this record. It all sounds a little to planned and honed. The songs sound like she just sweat blood over every line, and went thru a lot of paper. A lot of work went into these songs. But I wasn’t looking for work, I was looking for grace.

Tried as I did to find a standout cut on the cd, the best tune has to be one of the covers, “Tomorrow Night.” The crickets in the background of the beginning of the song are a nice production touch (That is if they are crickets, it could be the capstan). As much as I wanted this record to grab me, it never did. As much as I really want to like it, I just don’t. And no one is more disappointed than I am.