Eliza Gilkyson: Prayer 2000
[purchase]
Today's offering is a tip of the proverbial hat to Vesta_66, who chimed in last week with how much she (guessing on the gender) appreciates the "wisdom, maturity and respect" of the SMM contributors and commenters (as well as specifically likes the music of Eliza Gilkyson) - thanks for reading, enjoying and sticking around...
I've previously described my circuitous route of discovering female contemporary folk artists, from Joan Baez to Dar and beyond - a seminal influence in my growth process was The Women of Kerrville CD, from which I was introduced to the music of Susan Werner, Cheryl Wheeler, Catie Curtis and so many more. As soon as I heard Eliza's breaking voice and aching lyrics, I knew I had to find out more... and rushed right out to buy Redemption Road (prior to her Red House Records label signing) - I now own all of her catalog, but that remains a favorite, 10+ years later...
Prayer 2000 is an homage to all the gifts of nature and nurture we tend to take for granted... with a more than melancholy nod to the "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" philosophy - it is a reminder that we wouldn't recognize the joy without the sorrow with which to compare, and that the cycles of contrast are what mold and bless us, even (or maybe especially) in what feels like the blackest/bleakest time...
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." - perspective is everything...