Album Review: Mavis Staples - Livin' On A High Note

Mavis Staples comes from a long line of legends, adding to the line herself.

But her voice and music isn't all that's on show here — so strong is her appeal that the likes of Nick Cave, Ben Harper, Valerie June, M Ward and Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) have given her original tunes for this release. Overall blues and gospel is the main sound (as it has been for much of Staples' musical life), but Cave's Jesus Lay Down Beside Me takes her to country rather than blues, barely moving melodically but letting Staples ring out her rich husky sound.

It's an interesting combination of redemption and despair, although it's not always easy to guess which artist gave it which flavour. M Ward's Don't Cry is a much straighter pop/uplift tune, while Justin Vernon's Dedicated has the space in it that some of his other big tunes have allowed. In Staples' hands, it echoes and rolls around beautifully, filling the speakers with warmth and a simple sweet love song refrain. Ben Harper's contribution, Love And Trust, is familiar but not derivative, also allowing Staples to play with some deep harmonies and a Bowie-like backing (Young Americans-type "ba-ba-ba"). But a real standout is Action, a protest song with the harrowing like "What a terrifying time to raise our voices/But I don't feel I have other choices". Its chorus ends "Who's gonna do it if I don't do it?", and while Staples isn't alone, gosh her voice adds gravitas.