by Kaylyn Palella

In the Spotlight: Patty Griffin

A tiny figure with an extraordinarily powerful voice, Patty Griffin has a vocal and guitar range unlike most in the folk/rock realm today. Her first of two stunning albums, Living With Ghosts (1996), is actually a collection of Griffin’s song demos featuring her accompanied by her acoustic guitar. This album is pure, no frills talent, folks. No additional instruments or backup harmonies are necessary to hide or elevate Griffin’s magical debut. The album is complete in itself, featuring a range of soft and reflective dulcet tunes such as "Not Alone" or "Time Will Do the Talking," to passionate wailing in "Every Little Bit"and "Mad Mission." With most songs following suit on this folk album, the brilliant "Let Him Fly" borders on blues with reflective story-like songwriting consistent with the entire album, my favorite line being, "you must always know how long to stay and when to go..." Surprisingly, country/pop divas, The Dixie Chicks cover "Let Him Fly" on their latest album and are currently plugging our local (Old Town, ME) wonder while Griffin opens for them at locations across the nation.

Although clearly classified as folk upon emerging into the music scene, Griffin’s first studio album, Flaming Red (1998), takes a daring dive and successful landing into the realm of rock. Griffin wraps her exploration of wildly diverse musical tastes into a perfect little package, chock full of heavy guitars, drums, percussion and her powerfully evocative vocals. Griffin’s personal and fictional story-telling talent is followed out in Flaming Red with tunes such as "Tony," recalling the poignant issues of high school suicide and homosexuality or the title track about the fairytale, "Red Shoes." Overall, the speed and tone of her latest work is kick-off-your-shoes-and-throw-yourself-around-the-room-shouting, rather than the curl-up-with-a-mug-of-tea-and-sing-your-heart-out-with-your-eyes-closed feel of Living With Ghosts. Both are fantastic, it just depends on your particular mood.

In two gems completing the Patty Griffin collection, one gets the stark songwriting and single acoustic guitar, the essence of folk music, and the metamorphosis of a musician with a vision, unafraid to explore and allow the music to take a life of its own.

For a Griffin sneak peak check out the second CD of the first Lilith Fair album, to hear her and her guitar rock out on "Cain". I loved the song before I knew it was her, and now I love it even more. But don’t get your hopes up, it’s not on either album. And you can always visit www.pattygriffin.com  for more.