Rejoice, rejoice!
As the lines of what is "indie" and what isn't blur, a whole lifetime full of music encompassing any and all genres has accumulated on labels that seek only to preserve the integrity of the music they release.
So just because Jeff Tweedy has produced the new album from gospel/soul/r&b legend Mavis Staples doesn't mean she's gone all Yankee Hotel Foxtrot on us. On the contrary, fans of Wilco (full disclosure: me) are familiar with Tweedy's love of folk rock -- you've always been able to hear it in his songs, and much of Wilco's body of work.
You Are Not Alone is a beautiful treatment of folk rock, of blues, and of the singer-songwriter archetype. While you can certainly hear "the Wilco" in the production of this record (compare it to Staples' last album Live: at the Hideout), she puts her own gusto and strength into her soulful and deep alto. It's not always country, it's not always blues -- rather, Tweedy's production has guided Staples through all sorts of genres, but supported her voice in all them.
I'm really starting to love this "stream it before you buy it" approach over at NPR. You Are Not Alone is out on Anti- next week. If you're antsy, you can pre-order it on Amazon. And if you haven't listened to it yet, check it out here.
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