Music: Buy 1000 Kisses Online

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I've been hooked on this remarkably talented artist's music since the folky LIVING WITH GHOSTS was released nearly 6 years ago. FLAMING RED came two years later and shared a similar quality of songwriting with its predecessor, albeit with a bigger, bolder sound behind it than LIVING WITH GHOSTS.

Now, 1000 KISSES curls easily into the ear with a little of both those previous outings evident.

Before the wrapper is even off the CD, the first thing most listeners will notice is that 1000 KISSES offers the fewest vocal tracks from a Griffin album to date (Track 10 is an instrumental reprise of "Mil Besos," which I'll get to later). But Griffin has never been one to opt for quantity over quality, which one would be foolish to hold against her when what she presents is so solid and whole just as it is. As has been happily reported in industry magazines, this is undoubtedly Griffin's most honest and emotional album yet. And that's saying a lot considering how much those qualities were already evident in her previous work.

A number of fans balked at the forward-thinking approach to production on FLAMING RED, complaining it was too beefy, too rocky. Those folks should be pleased to know that the production this time around certainly leans more toward the organic sound of Griffin's debut CD. But it should be noted, the sometimes jangly barebones structure of LIVING WITH GHOSTS has been refined in 1000 KISSES, with much of that credit going to the production and instrumental talents of Griffin's trusted guitarist, Doug Lancio.

I've never had any complaints about Griffin's style or the way she chooses to best highlight her work. She's adventurous. Thank goodness for that. That spirit continues today. To me, the most exciting aspect of 1000 KISSES is the addition of a couple of successful forays into places previously only alluded to by this increasingly ubiquitous singer/songwriter with the eternally charming talent of reminding us of the familiar and forgotten.

If there's a weak point in the album, it's "Chief." Griffin reports that the song was inspired by someone she remembers from her childhood. As such, I'm sure it's very personal to her, but I don't know how well that feeling translates to the listener. It's a perfectly good song, but not one to which I believe a large number of listeners will be able to relate on their own personal levels. At worst, it will glide by unnoticed.

But, even in the unlikely event that you end up hating that song, the rest of the album more than makes up for it. I won't go into every track, but a few tracks deserve special acknowledgment.

In "Making Pies," Griffin lovingly tips her hat to her childhood neighbors, the working women who schlepped to the Table Talk pie factory each day to churn out pies. This wonderful song was supposed to appear on SILVER BELL, the album Griffin was working on when she was dropped by her former label. Fortunately for all us, this track survived the frutrating snafu that kept its original mates from being included on 1000 KISSES. I have a mental short list of favorite Griffin songs and this is easily in the Top 5 now; in fact, it's probably coming in at 2. This song expertly shows Griffin at her most economical as a songwriter and most poetic as an artist.

Several reviewers have called 1000 KISSES Griffin's most "personal" album yet. To some, it might seem odd to read that sort of comment, especially given that Griffin has included three cover tunes on the 10-track album. But she made her selections wisely. Each of the covers Griffin chose to cover not only fit perfectly with the mood and maturity of the album, they are beautifully transformed by the ways of her voice.

Springsteen's "Stolen Car" sounds like it was written for Griffin to cover. She's able to put a softly bittersweet and entirely feminine spin on what had already started as a tender heartbreaker from a man who was lost somewhere in his own life. Not even Melissa Etheridge's "You Can Sleep While I Drive" can match the quiet emotion Griffin puts into this one.

"Tomorrow Night," for which Griffin credits Bob Dylan for teaching her, is one of two tracks on the album about which I'm most enthusiastic. If you enjoyed the smoky, jazzy feel of "Go Now" on FLAMING RED, you'll love Griffin's treatment of "Tomorrow Night." It swings slow like a Patsy Cline piece. I'm excited to see Griffin stretching her wings further into her own spot-on interpretations of jazz, blues and gospel.

And then, finally, there's the title track. Well, it's not really the title track. It's the old Tejano standard, "Mil Besos," from which the English-translated album title was pulled by Griffin who humbly blames the decision on being a 'gringa.' But there's no need for her to be humble, especially for her decision to take her cellist's advice and tackle Spanish lyrics. With sultry flair and a hint of bombast, Griffin puts her stamp on "Mil Besos" and leaves the listener, once again, blown away.

Thanks for the KISSES, Patty. You and your music are beautiful.

MELODIES: A+ (instantly hummable)
LYRICS: A+ (more storytelling than on previous efforts...)
PERFORMANCE: A+ (stron as ever....)
PRODUCTION: A- (Sparse...A little muddy in places, but the improvisational feel serves the album well.)