Silver bell

"There's a roiling rock undertow tempered by a smoky, late-night soulfulness that gives this album its emotional resonance. These sounds are not mutually exclusive. Often, Griffin blends it all together, pushing a song that starts as country into bracing, cathartic territory ... Despite the success the Dixie Chicks had with songs from this album, Silver Bell is not necessarily a record that would've brought Griffin to a larger audience. It is simultaneously inward and explosive, a record that demands close listening and certainly rewards the attention. Griffin may have gotten a little more accessible not much later, but it's hard to hear Silver Bell and not think of it as a compelling transitional LP that's the missing piece of the puzzle".

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"As stylistically varied as the best of her records, Griffin has always been an artistic chameleon who has a knack for pulling off any genre with aplomb, and Silver Bell revels in displaying this versatility. There's the alternative rock of "Boston", "Sorry and Sad", "Driving" and the raucous title track, that recalls the punkish spirit of "Flaming Red" off her previous record. She pinballs between the down home country vibe of "Truth #2" and "So Long", piano ballads like "Mother of God" and the smoky, bluesy "Perfect White Girls". One would think that an album this diverse would collapse under the potpourri of styles, but it's surprisingly cohesive. The record is so brilliant, it feels like a crime that it's taken this long to be released ... One listen and it's apparent that this is the album that should have catapulted her into the mainstream, yet it's possible she never wanted that kind of fame to begin with. Either way, Silver Bell has finally been given the respectitdeserved over a decade ago and it sounds as relevant, fresh, vital and modern as if it were recorded this year. It's a classic in the making".

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"Here's a tale that sums up the modern record industry: One of the best albums of 2000 wasn't released until 2013. Patty Griffin's former label spurned Silver Bell, possibly because it didn't fit her "folkie" image, but now that she's won a Grammy and joined a band with Robert Plant, Griffin's level of acclaim has given the album a reprieve. Though Silver Bell meanders at times, "Little God" (which might be about the devil) and the vengeful "Sorry and Sad" pit her thoughtful, detailed lyrics and blue, reedy voice against tough Stones-in-the-bayou guitars. Maybe the delay was a weird blessing: More people will hear this now than would have 13 years ago".

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