Album Review: Rosanne Cash - The River And The Thread

Rosanne Cash stepped out of her father Johnny's shadow many years ago, delivering deeply emotive and personal albums. This may be her best yet, eschewing country music clichés while remaining firmly rooted in the rich storytelling world of Americana. There are swampy, Southern musical landscapes reminiscent of contemporary Dylan yet this is more graceful and intimate and, though sadness and loss inhabit many songs, there's an air of optimism. Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and Tony Joe White appear as guests, but the album's success is wholly that of Cash and husband/co-writer John Leventhal.