State of Grace is the sixth full release from this amazing singer/songwriter and is perhaps his best yet. I have only seen Pierce in concert once, at the Cornerstone festival back in 1992, where he accompanied Mark Heard in what was to be Mark's final show. In the last ten years he has released a series of albums that keep getting better and better. His voice and guitar are two equal extensions of one very talented individual. Every time I hear one of the albums it just whets my appetite to see him in concert again.
If the packaging was all there was to this project then it would still be well worth the price. The cover art by the Rev. Howard Finster and the photographs on the inside are amazing. But that is just the icing on the top of the cake. Produced by Garry West and featuring the talents of Colin Linden, Gordon Kennedy, Stuart Duncan and many others, this is one great album in every way that you can imagine. Although this is a great album to listen to in the car, it cries out to be listened to in a quiet setting to get the full impact of all that is being said, both lyrically and musically.
I may be starting to show my age, but I really appreciate a lyricist who forces me to stop and think about what he is saying. Reading a lyric by Pierce is like reading a satisfying short story or a good poem. "And if I never told you how much you mean to me, someday I will show you and all of the world will see, in the middle of forever, in the company of friends we will meet again" from "We Will Meet Again." Or this piece from the song, "Little River Canyon": "This song is just an echo, this song is just a ripple from a stone [that was] tossed into the water long ago." Add to this good acoustic southern-fried music and you've got the total package.
5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Ken MuellerHaving been a fan of Pierce Pettis for quite some time after discovering his first three releases, I was a bit disappointed in his last two discs, and was a bit curious about State of Grace. Fortunately, this latest release from Compass Records sees Pettis reverting a bit to the earthier, rootsier, grittier sound of his earliest work. His first three albums, Tinseltown, While the Serpent Lies…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Chris ParksState of Grace, Pierce Pettis' latest album, is a series of celebrations of and ponderings about our homes, temporal and eternal. Celebration dominates, however, as this album is much lighter in atmosphere than either of his two previous albums. This is not to say that Pettis's lyrics are either lightweight or unrealistic. Pettis has lost none of his ability to create thoughtful and…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Steve StockmanPierce Pettis's work has always been rooted in southern red clay but his new one seems to be a deeper study into the lives of those located south of the Mason-Dixon line. The packaging is littered with old photographs of such a life and the cover is a painting by Georgian folk artist Rev Howard Finster. The title track, "Little River Canyon," "Moontown, " and "Georgia Moon" are the songs that…Similar sounding releases
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