Greta Gaines
Bird Before Light
Big Air Records
Modern-day renaissance woman, singer-songwriter, activist, extreme-sports competitor, mother, and mentor Greta Gaines releases her latest long player, Bird Before Light.
Talking about Bird Before Light, Gaines shares, “It’s about getting out of my comfort zone as a songwriter, one who typically writes alone and in solitude. It explores certain themes that I find myself wrestling with in midlife — empty nesting, newfound anxiety, resistance to change, grief, and betrayal — while also pursuing faith, finding the simple joy that comes with sharing time with old friends, and immersing myself in the beauty of nature and the natural world.”
Along with Gaines on guitars, Bird Before Light features a who’s who of virtuoso musicians: drummer Ken Coomer (Wilco), Jim Reilley on bass, Eric Fritsch (Marty Stuart) on electric guitar, piano, keyboards, GRAMMY winner Tim O’Brien (fiddle), Adam Ollendorff (pedal steel), Kevin Roentgen (electric guitar), and Raul Malo, Dan Bern, and Tim O’Brien on harmony vocals.
Suggested entry points include the dreamy, shimmering “Coming To Fruition,” a low-slung, gleaming example of delicious Americana because of its indulgent, swaying motion. For some reason, Gaines’ vocals conjure up sensations of Sheryl Crow, mellow and easy to listen to.
“Moderation” rolls out on a softly strumming guitar, riding an oozing organ. The melody and the vocals recall stripped-down 4 Non Blondes. Repeated listens make the song even more appealing.
On “Harm’s Way,” Gaines lowers her voice, giving it shadowy tones, while the rockier melody travels on tight, crunching percussion and edgy, growling guitars. The track’s inclusion breaks up the country/Americana tangs of the album, providing a tasty breather that allows Gaines to strut her vocal range.
A personal favorite because of its wistful, quixotic flow, “Tenderhooks,” with its sumptuous, drifting motion, reveals a sweet sentimentality that, like Patsy Cline, avoids the trap of becoming schmaltzy. This is an affecting song, marinated in authentic emotions.
The dark and sensual feel of “All Yours,” a feel bestowed by a smoldering organ and the movement of rolling, picking guitars, evokes a luscious trundling momentum that drips with dusky voluptuous surfaces. Simultaneously haunting and yearning, Gaines narrates her aching hunger for the sense of love.
A wonderfully mature album full of passionate revelations, Bird Before Light finds Greta Gaines at her extraordinary best.
