Patty Griffin's third album, her first material to be
released since 1998 (the absorption of her former label,
A&M, in the Polygram-Universal merger left an album Griffin
cut in 2000 in the vault, where it's sadly likely to stay),
strikes a stylistic middle ground between the stark
voice-and-guitar approach of her debut, Living With Ghosts,
and the eclectic textures of Flaming Red. 1000 Kisses was
mostly recorded live in the studio with a small acoustic
band, including Doug Lancio on guitar and mandolin, Brian
Standefer on cello, Giles Reeves on vibraphone and
percussion, and Michael Ramos on accordion; the feel of the
performances is close and intimate, with the occasional
cough or footfall audible in the background, and these
sessions capture more than a bit of the cinema verite mood
of Living With Ghosts. But if the album's production style
is subtle, it's also a superb match for the material, and
without forcing their hand Griffin and the musicians can
sway from the life-on-the-street swagger of "Chief" to the
Latin romanticism of "Mil Besos" to the torchy late-night
blues of "Tomorrow Night" without missing a step, finding a
broad emotional spectrum in these low-key sessions. And
while 1000 Kisses finds Griffin blending covers in with her
own compositions for the first time, she proves to be a
first-rate interpretive singer (her version of Bruce
Springsteen's "Stolen Car" actually improves of The Boss's
original), and her own songs are splendid, especially the
moving widow's lament "Makin' Pies" and the moody lead-off
track "Rain". And regardless of who wrote the material,
Griffin's voice — a tower of strength capable of expressing
remarkable emotional vulnerability — remains a wonder to
behold. 1000 Kisses finds Patty Griffin at the top of her
game, and one can only hope we don't have to wait four
years for the follow-up. — Mark Deming
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