Album Review: Stumble into Grace by Emmylou Harris

Album Name: Stumble into Grace
Artist: Emmylou Harris
Year/Label: 2003 / Nonesuch

[Buy at Amazon]

Review by Anne Deming
I know it’s girly but I have to say that the CD jacket for ‘Stumble into Grace’ is beautiful.

After seeing Emmylou perform last year I was amazed at her poise and elegance. Well, that vibrant dimension of her character shows through in every picture, every promo, and every video clip. She’s a stunner, there’s no two ways about it. That being said…how she looks has nothing to do with her voice, but lucky for us – it fits.

My exposure to Emmylou began with ‘Red Dirt Girl’. You might be wondering what hole I lived in during the 1990’s when ‘Wrecking Ball’ soared over mainstream radio. Uhm, I was still listening to Madonna.

Needless to say, I’ve been making up for lost time. A word of warning though: fans of ‘Red Dirt Girl’ might be a bit surprised by the bare bones sound and soft production woven through the music of ‘Stumble’.

Emmylou’s voice is clear as a bell and somewhat eerie at times. Her knack for poignant lyrics that romanticize the mundane hook the listener with the usual degree of force, but her newest release is quite different from her previous recordings.

Recently, she appeared to be moving towards pop music, but ‘Stumble into Grace’ yanks her back to folk with a vengeance. ‘Stumble’ is a beautiful creation full of life and vivid imagery. Well worth the listen and delightfully full of surprises. (Killer track: number four – Time in Babylon)

Posted on December 16, 2003

Track Listing
1. Here I am
2. I Will Dream
3. Little Bird
4. Time In Babylon
5. Can you Hear Me Now
6. Strong Hand
7. Jupiter Rising
8. O Evangeline
9. Plaisir d’Amour
10. Lost Unto This World
11. Cup of Kindness

[Emmylou Harris Official Site]

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