For better or worse, Grant-Lee Phillips‘ solo career has been heavily defined by a certain brand of easy going acoustic singer-songwriterisms. As predictably as those embracing his band, the more biting Grant Lee Buffalo, in the 90’s – eventually grew older and embraced the Wilcos and Nationals in their middle age, so too did Phillips find solace in a more laid-back style and touring schedule. Since the break-up of Buffalo at the turn of the millennium, Phillips has steadily released solo albums every few years, the vast majority of which employ his distinctive songwriting and individual voice with an appeasing, mellow sound.
Take for instance, 2006’s great and underrated cover album Ninteeneighties, a selection of some of Phillips’ favorite 80s songs delivered in what is now his trademark, alt-americana lens. With Phillips’ help, each song is given new meaning and aside from 2001’s, great and outlying Mobilize, all of his solo releases follow this same aesthetic. That’s not really a problem in the end, because the vast majority of his work remains surprisingly consistent, if not always remarkable. Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff, like most of Phillips’ catalog, works best as an extension of himself and his strange career. At this point, anyone listening has likely been keeping up with the singer for most of his releases or at the very least, is familiar with his streak of cult classic albums in the 90s. Regardless, fans are not expecting or looking for a follow-up to Fuzzy or Jubilee, they are curious to see where his songwriting stands in 2020.
Phillip’s 10th solo studio release starts off with one of its strongest tracks, the strutting mission statement, “Ain’t Done Yet”. That song, like many here, manages to avoid the cliché’s surrounding its subject matter without losing its authenticity or its hook, one of the signature tricks that Phillips has learned over the years. Lightning also features two other notable entries: “Mourning Dove” a quiet, evocative mediation on death and “Sometimes You Wake Up in Charleston”, an extremely memorable travelogue. Both songs avoid any clutter in their instrumentation, favoring their refined lyrical strength over heavy emotional flourishes and easily rank among Phillips’ strongest tracks as of late. Lightning itself is a competent record, but more importantly it’s another notch in the belt of one of America’s most overlooked and underappreciated songwriters, someone who has consistently proven that he’s always worth hearing from.
Photo by Peter Erikkson
