Album Review: Mavis Staples - One True Vine

There's a homely, down-to-earth feel to the music made when the production talents of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy meet the incomparable soulful croon of the legendary Mavis Staples; we heard it first on 2010's You Are Not Alone and that same feeling very much continues on One True Vine. But, with a few small tweaks and some different ideas, the end result here is more powerful, more beautiful and utterly triumphant.

The opening salvo of Some Holy Ghost, originally performed by Minnesotan indie rockers Low, is an unassuming but auspicious beginning; Staples' worn vocal met with luscious backing harmonies. The brilliant Every Step demands a little more attention as those backing vocals are brought forward in the mix and they work off Staples' lead with a startling sense of rhythm and harmony. A crisp rendition of Funkadelic's Can You Get To That? is packed with heart, proving Staples is one cool 73-year-old, while it must be impossible to not believe every single word of the shuffling Far Celestial Shore, so thoughtful is the delivery.

There is great warmth in these arrangements and authority in Staples' voice, making the record extraordinarily appealing on face value, while, under the surface, the vocals of Staples have an almost nourishing quality. She makes the songs gripping, putting every semblance of her life's experience into the delivery; I Like The Things About Me is staunch and uplifting at once, while you can't deny the strength of her faith after hearing Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind On Jesus). We're privileged to hear the music Tweedy and Staples make together; here's hoping there's more to come