Patty Griffin has had her share of crises during the six years since her last album, making “Crown of Roses” a triumph.
She was in treatment for breast cancer, she lost her voice for a while, she struggled with writer's block and she became one of her mother's caretakers during the last years of her life.
As dark as many of the songs are, they are all about being resilient in the face of trouble and coming through it intact. It’s inspiring in a highly relatable way.
Griffin continues her long-time vocal collaborations with Robert Plant, who contributes background vocals to “Long Time.” It’s subtlety is mesmerizing.
There are some positively upbeat songs including one that uses a baseball metaphor in it’s lyrics. It’s the kind of song she was known for early in her career.