Preview: Mavis Staples "You Are Not Alone"
Mavis Staples' upcoming Jeff Tweedy-produced album You Are Not Alone is high on our list of most anticipated albums of the year. It's been nearly a year since I learned about the collaboration, but my already-high expectations were raised exponentially after hearing the standout title track. The song has Tweedy's unmistakable lyrical stamp yet falls comfortably in Staples' gospel wheelhouse - a song of reassurance in the face of uncertainty.
I had the great opportunity to hear a few of these songs at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival a few weeks ago, where Tweedy joined Mavis on stage for a remarkable cross-generational collaboration between music icons. Now, after hearing the full album, I can finally say that my high expectations have been fulfilled - the songs are fantastic and Mavis Staples and band sound energized. A legend of gospel/soul making relevant music alongside one of the most creative and important songwriters of the last 15 years - it may sound like an unlikely pairing, but the results are undeniably great.
Listen to the album in its entirety below, before the September 14 release date:
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