Recorded less than two months after the death of her father earlier this year, Don't Be Afraid is both defiant and vulnerable as the singer jumps off a bus somewhere between Memphis and Detroit and powers into a soul-filled set.
And though grief can be found in the wide spaces between notes, in the reverberating clang of electric guitar and pedal steel, there is plenty of joy, too.
• Tami Neilson. Don't Be Afraid. Neilson Records.
• Four and a half stars (out of five)
Single download: Bury My Body
For those who like: Mavis Staples meets Patsy Cline
- Shane Gilchrist
