A note of unease underlies the testaments of faith and joy on “One True Vine,” the latest release from legendary soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples.
The album, produced by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, takes an unorthodox approach to the gospel genre, and the end result is hit or miss. The record feels like a grand experiment and an ambitious push to fuse traditions and genres, and that effort only works occasionally. The lyrics flip between straight-ahead religious devotion and vague themes of love and loss. The music is far more understated than Staples’ previous work, with muted guitars and soft drums taking the place of the expansive piano chords and bombastic choruses fans might expect. Even Staples’ voice, which should be the star of any Mavis Staples records, takes a backseat at certain moments. At times, her tone is downright minimal. At others, a sense of foreboding outweighs any note of elation.
A big part of that sound has to do with the album’s producer. Staples may claim the title credit on this disc, but the imprint of Jeff Tweedy is impossible to miss. Just as he did on “You Are Not Alone,” the duo’s first collaborative project from 2010, Tweedy works to fit Staples’ presence in his own inimitable framework. The muted guitar chords, the understated drum lines, the enigmatic lyrics – all of these elements feel straight off of a Wilco album.
Tweedy’s signature sound was compelling on “You Are Not Alone.” While the creative relationship between Staples and Tweedy pays off in some admirable moments on “One True Vine,” this venture is much less consistent than the pair’s first.
The critique isn’t borne of nostalgia for Mavis Staples’ groundbreaking work with the Staples Singers, the family gospel, soul and R&B outfit that she joined at 13 years old. It makes sense that Staples, now in her 70s, would want to move past the sound perfected on pop hits like “I’ll Take You There” and moving gospel anthems like “City in the Sky.”
But this album isn’t so much about creative progress. Rather, the 10 tracks give the feel of unorganized experimentation and fusion for the sake of fusion.
On tunes penned by Tweedy, Staples offers a subdued energy that fails to jive with the message of faith and confidence in the lyrics. On “Jesus Wept,” a muted chorus backs up Staples as she yearns, “How I wish there was a way I could see you again.” Apart from oblique references to thorns, mortality and brotherhood, it’s hard to place the rambling lyrics in the gospel context spelled out in the title. On “Every Step,” Staples sings over a dark, droning guitar, confessing, “I get tired, lonely” and admits to losing her way. Those complaints come along with professions of faith and grace, and Staples works to balance the subdued feel with tributes to a higher power.
Tweedy also wrote the title track, “One True Vine,” a tune that more successfully fuses Staples’ strengths with the stark guitar, bare drums and simple piano melodies. There are moving moments on this track, but it takes patience to find them.
The same can be said for the rest of the album. A revamp of the Staples Singers tune “I Like Things About Me” works with Tweedy’s bare instrumentation, but a cover of the Funkadelic tune “Can You Get to That” lacks energy and dynamism. “What Are They Doing In Heaven Today” benefits from a chorus of backup singers, and Staples’ questions about the ultimate spiritual fate of mankind are profound and moving. Meanwhile, “Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind On Jesus)” feels less celebratory than obligatory; the slight drum accompaniment is lackluster, the backup vocals are too understated and Staples’ rounds of “Hallelujahs” lack conviction.
Those weaker moments are all the more disappointing, considering Staples’ pedigree as an innovator in the gospel genre. The conviction and depth that made her voice such a standout early in her career is still here in traces. Unfortunately, those qualities have to compete with Tweedy’s fondness for stark instrumentation, minimal melodies and oblique wordplay.
The fusion can be interesting and, at rare moments, moving. But there’s a lot of dross to wade through in order to find those moments of spiritual sublimity.
Reach reporter Adam Goldstein at 720-449-9707 or agoldstein@aurorasentinel.com