Qobuzissime

T-Bone Burnett is blunt: "Rhiannon is the next in a long line of singers that includes Marian Anderson, Odetta, Mahalia Jackson and Rosetta Tharpe." After hearing Tomorrow Is My Turn, her 2015 debut solo album that revisited such wonders as Elizabeth Cotten, Dolly Parton, Hank Cochran and even Aznavour, the famous producer's opinion sounded obvious. The journey into the timeless Americana of folk, jazz, gospel, blues, soul and country continues for the former member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Freedom Highway, the title of which is that taken from a civil rights anthem composed by the Staple Singers for the famous Selma marches in Montgomery, Alabama in March 1965. This album is much less rooted in the past than it seems, at a time when America is living through some of its most turbulent moments. With her truly stunning voice, Rhiannon Giddens stirs up the ghosts of slavery and the civil rights struggle, and makes them more modern and alive than ever. Even when she sings Joan Baez's Birmingham Sunday, you could swear you're hearing a tune from 2017! Rhiannon Giddens' strength is that she never does taxidermy. Superbly produced and interpreted, this album is not merely a sepia coloured memory to decorate the conscience and the mind. No, this is a strong and magnificent record that perpetuates a musical, spiritual and ideological tradition that can never die, especially when it is interpreted in this way. © MZ/Qobuz

Having exhausted every angle in pop and rock over the past few years, the country scene seems to have finally decided to return to its roots. Margo Price is another name to add to a list alongside the likes of Kacey Musgraves and Sturgill Simpson, among others. A native of Aledo, Illinois, the young damsel has already been lucky enough to be hand picked by a certain Jack White to sign with his label, Third Man Records. Being in favour with the former leader of the White Stripes will bring her some extra spotlight she most certainly deserves... This first solo album however, is by no means the 32-year-old singers first venture in music. She landed in Nashville after finishing high school in 2003, where she met her future husband, bassist Jeremy Ivey. The couple when on to form the (somewhat) obscure Buffalo Clover Group. Three self-produced later albums, and a tsunami of misfortunes which included (the death of her son, time spent in prison, problems with alcohol, anxiety and depression, among others), Margo Price advanced alone with this disc put together in the Mecca of rock music, the legendary Sun studios. To the listener, Midwest Farmer's Daughter – an obvious nod to Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn – sees price walk in the footsteps of the great ladies of the eternal country. Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker… Musically, the approach is quite purist and reminiscent of the glorious country of the seventies. Some honkytonk, rockabilly, and blues twang - Margo Price sings her songs with conviction and sincerity. A truly beautiful album, and a worth Qobuzism! © Marc Zisman/Qobuz