I Am
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
A collection of songs that surrounds themes of women’s hopes, dreams, heartaches and joys, Lynn Swisher Spears brings us 21 original tunes across 2 discs that are interpreted by 13 top notch vocalists.
“I Am” opens the listen with a bluesy ballad, where Rissi Palmer’s gorgeous pipes are complemented by acoustic guitar and bass, and “Betsy’s Garden” follows an up tempo ballad that showcases Abigail Dowd’s expressive pipes amid warm piano and soft guitar.
Elsewhere, “Wednesday’s Blue” burns slow, with keys, sax, bass and percussion that’s soaked in sultry blues thanks to Taz Halloween, while “Four-String Gibson” enters folk territory with its strong attention to detail and acoustic guitar, fiddle and mandolin that are joined by Penne Sandbeck’s heart-wrenching vocals.
On the back half of the listen, “One Can Only Hope” recruits slide guitar and snarled singing from Halloween for raw and emotive album highlight, though “No Greater Gift” is a close second with its stirring cello from Shana Tucker and Isabel Valls’ absorbing voice in the poetic 6/8 time.
Spears is essentially immersing herself into research in relation to her transformation of a more authentic version of herself as a transgender woman, and she advised each vocalist to make these songs their own, and it allows for a very diverse, engaging and enlightening peek into the human experience
Travels well with: Deidre McCalla- Endless Grace; Kim Beggs- Steel And Wool