Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Presley, Lisa Marie
Label: Universal Republic Records
Release: 2012
Length: 44:27
Rating: 4/5
Lisa Marie Presley, better known as Elvis Presley’s daughter, whose long shadow she clearly won’t shake for the rest of her life, was long called the ‘rock’n’roll princess’, a nickname she surely wouldn’t like one bit these days, now that she’s long since become a grown woman. She earned that tag thanks to her famous father, who was known as the ‘King of Rock’n’Roll’, and not because of her failed marriage to the ‘King of Pop’, the late Michael Jackson, or her early musical and vocal steps, which were mostly marked by commercially tinted ‘bubble gum’ pop/pop rock with occasional touches of so-called alternative and more or less lewd lyrics, in other words, the stuff you mostly hear these days on trashy ‘music’ channels à la MTV.
Even though her first two albums, »To Whom It May Concern« (2003) and »Now What« (2005), did pretty well commercially, those music critics who don’t work for big corporate media houses, and for whom the music itself matters more than shiny packaging and a notorious name, were somewhat less thrilled with them. In the meantime Ms. Presley got a lot more serious, and on her third album »Storm & Grace« she decided to change her musical style. She tossed the MTV-style pop rock junk and the lewd, spoiled-brat lyrics in the trash and set out to explore the roots of folk, blues and country music. A fusion of all those elements is exactly what dominates »Storm & Grace«, her third studio effort, produced by T-Bone Burnett, the renowned American musician and producer who, among others, helped out on productions for Roy Orbison, John Mellencamp and Elton John. Burnett, best known as a musician for his work with Bob Dylan, also played most of the guitar parts on »Storm & Grace«.
Partly thanks to her dad’s genes, Lisa is blessed with a unique, slightly raspy, American ‘Southern’ voice, which is her main asset, since as a songwriter she’s fairly average and her lyrics mostly revolve around pretty clichéd personal traumas (the joys and disappointments of love, this or that run-in with those closest to her, and so on). The album as a whole is quite consistent, with no glaring swings in quality, but also without any real songwriting peaks of the kind you’d kind of expect from a much more mature Ms. Presley today. The long break certainly did Lisa good, considering the seven years that have passed since her last record, because in that time she has finally come into her own as a confident songwriter with her own musical expression. On the opener »Over Me«, where slow, swaying rhythms prevail, elements of folk and country dominate, while Lisa, with her smoky-sounding voice, shows off her vocal uniqueness right away. Throughout the album, slow, swaying rhythms rule, but luckily they’re still varied enough not to fall into monotony.
The gifted singer is equally convincing on tender ballads like »Weary« and »Close To The Edge« as on more spirited, bouncy experiments in the vein of »So Long« and »Un-Break«. »You Ain’t See Nothin’ Yet« came out as a single, which, given its melodic nature, wasn’t exactly a shocking choice. Across most of the songs on »Storm & Grace«, Lisa Marie shows she has a good feel for writing instantly catchy melodic arrangements. The title track, which closes the album, is deeply introspective, with a gentle guitar melody and Ms. Presley’s distinctly melancholic vocal delivery.
With »Storm & Grace«, Lisa Marie Presley has made her most mature and convincing studio record to date, one that shows, convincingly and with real feeling, that her musical heart belongs to the American South, something her famous father would surely have been proud of. She hasn’t started any revolution with it that would land her on the list of the most exciting contemporary musicians or singers right now, but she has put a big gap between herself and her early, today almost laughable MTV pop rock experiments. Her unique voice and the help of a bunch of seasoned guest musicians, along with deeper songwriting inspiration and the fact that she has finally found the right musical territory for expressing her creative ideas convincingly and without pushiness, could contribute significantly to some well-deserved commercial success this time around.
Line-up
Lisa Marie Presley – vocals
T-Bone Burnett – guitar, production
Jackson Smith – guitar
Blake Mills – guitar
Michael Lockwood – guitar
Dennis Crouch – bass guitar
Zachary Dawes – bass guitar
Keefus Green – keyboards
Patrick Warren – keyboards
Jay Bellerose – drums
Mike Compton – mandolin
Greg Leisz – pedal steel
Production
T-Bone Burnett
Track list
1. Over Me
2. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
3. Weary
4. Close To The Edge
5. So Long
6. Un-Break
7. Soften The Blows
8. Storm Of Nails
9. How Do You Fly This Plane?
10. Forgiving
11. Storm & Grace
