Raising Sand

iTunes Review

While Robert Plant established his reputation as the hard rock singer of the 1970s with his banshee shriek, he has not tried to emulate that trademark in his solo career. His affection for roots music was evidenced back in the ‘80s with the Honeydrippers and it continues in 2007 on this collaboration with bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss. Together, with producer T Bone Burnett applying a restrained, tasteful patina, they explore a variety of roots styles, from the swamp blues of the opener, “Rich Woman,” the pedal-steel fueled sorrow of “Killing the Blues” and quiet county desperation of Gene Clark’s “Polly Come Home” to the lonesome despair of Townes Van Zandt’s “Nothin’.” The small band maintains an intimate room sound and a solid cohesion no matter which style they approach. (It’s an all-star cast with guitarist Marc Ribot and pedal steel extraordinaire Greg Leisz among the faithful.) Krauss steps out with several fiddle spotlights, but the vocals are a shared experience. Along with first-rate songs from Tom Waits and the Everly Brothers, the album is a welcome surprise.