Floodplain

Description

Floodplain is the eleventh studio album by the American singer and songwriter Sara Groves, release on her own label Sponge Records in November 2015, manufactured and marketed by Fair Trade Services and distributed by Provident Distribution in the US. Also distributed by Columbia Records. The album was recorded by Martin Woodlee assisted by Samuel Hofstedt and Barrett Miller at Sonic Temple Studios in Ferndale, California; and was produced by Sara Groves in collaboration with Steve Brewster, Matt Pierson, Scott Dente, Daniel Phelps, and Brown Bannister. Vocals recorded by Brown Bannister at Townsend Studios in Franklin, Tennessee. Mixed by Ben Gowell assisted by AJ Mather at CCV Studio in Peoria, Arizona. All song written by Sara Groves except “This Cup” co-written with Ellie Holcomb and “Enough” co-written with Julie Masen and Sarah Masen.

Down the years (this is Sara’s ninth album) Cross Rhythms have praised the thoughtful, reflective and understated music of the Minnesota-based singer/songwriter. Now with this album, released in November 2015, Sara has reached a pinnacle of her art. ‘Floodplain’ is crammed full of the songwriter’s craft. Take the title track, where an artfully nuanced metaphor suggest that people’s hopes and dreams are often built on ground liable to flood with fear and uncertainty. And if that sounds a tad too dark a subject for some believers, try «Signal», a beautifully judged declaration of love for the Lord: “All the cliches about how much I love you are true/ As big as the sky and up to the moon/ A million-zillion, infinity-plus-one.” On the album Groves worked with a bevy of producers – Brown Bannister, Steve Brewster, Scott Dente, Daniel Phelps and Matt Pierson, but rather than that giving the album a fragmentary feel there is a remarkable coherence on ‘Floodplain’ with a sound that is part pop rock and part folk (in fact the album made both Billboard’s Folk and Top Rock Albums charts). There are few up-tempo moments here but on a song like «Second Guess Girl» the rapid guitar strumming and upbeat drumming stop the song from sounding languid while the lyrics skilfully depict a modern world where many seek wisdom on the Internet on which the best and worst of humanity dwells. My favourite track at the moment is the haunting opener «This Cup» written with another superb singer/songwriter, Ellie Holcomb. But wherever you explore you’ll find music to stimulate the mind and enrich the soul. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, January 2017]

When it comes right down to consistency in a catalog of work, I can’t think of many long-career artists that have maintained a standard of excellence the way Sara Groves has. Untainted by the trends of the day, seemingly immune to the tampering of industry producers and ‘professional’ song writers, Groves has stayed true to her particular sound, her signature style, and her profound reality-based presentation of God’s presence in everyday life. From the beginning, her work has been about the tensions of the faith-walk of the common person, the dichotomy of God’s majesty filtered through our frailty, the amazing treasure contained, restrained, and sometimes shining through these earthen vessels.

Floodplain is another brilliant album by Sara Groves. It’s an accessible work full of wisdom and beauty: lyrically poetic and musically smart, Floodplain is still essentially a pop album replete with hooks and well-informed by the best of the classic rock era. Once again this artist brings hints of another world into kitchens, station wagons, and backyards.

Produced by Sara, Steve Brewster, Matt Pierson, Scott Dente, Daniel Phelps, and Brown Bannister (with extra production by Waterdeep’s Don Chaffer on «I’ve Been Here Before»), the album manages to sound like a singularly organic work. The sound is warm, with acoustic guitars (Scott Dente), piano (Sara), bass (Matt Pierson) and drums (Steve Brewster) always being the important elements, occasional electric guitar and background vocals appropriately incorporated to round out the sound.

The style ranges from the strong pop of «I’ve Been Here Before», to the dreamy «On Your Mark», to the playful «Your Reality», to the orchestral «Enough». Of course, the album is full of great songs. «I Feel the Love Between Us», with its repeating end phrase and building percussion, would have been a nice alternate choice to end the album with – almost Beatle-esque in concept.

I don’t think enough can be said about Sara’s vocal delivery. Certainly she’s not one of those divas bent on producing soaring vocal runs that essentially leave all sense of melody and meaning far behind – she’s almost the opposite of that. Groves’ voice has an honesty about it – with just the right amount of frailty – to communicate with the heart of the listener. Yes, it’s a good voice. A fine voice – probably better than she thinks it is, I’ll bet – but that’s part of what we love about Sara’s music: her ability to communicate the humanness that’s in tension with the God that lives in us. Check these lyrics from «I’ve Been Here Before»:

I’ve been here before
staring at a blank page
waiting for the touch
chasing down a muse that don’t like me much
…I’ve been here before
feasting at a table in a barren land
sayin’ I’ll never doubt never doubt again
sayin’ I’ll never doubt never doubt again…

Of course, she knows not only that we’ve all been there before but that we’ll be back there again, along with those same doubts – but that God will be there, too.

In an album full of great songs there’s always the one that strikes to the heart, and this will differ from listener to listener – but for me it’s «My Dream», a sublimely-produced piece full of awe and fragile humanity. The combination of melody, chord change and vocal delivery on the chorus is a rare and wonderful moment. In a musical climate that’s too often full of bombast and swagger, Sara Groves’ Floodplain reminds us of our brokenness and points us to our Fixer in Heaven.

I have lived a life of faith
I have felt and heard the Spirit
still the darkness brings its weight
and assurance is gone
but as I fall asleep I have a waking dream

you are standing in the driveway
as I come up the street
I can tell by your movement you’re not angry
you are waiting there

how much foolishness and folly are allowed in your graceland
how much doubt and melancholy
till I’m lost
and as I fall asleep I have a waking dream …

On Floodplain, the musical and spiritual legacy of Sara groves is well served. We’ve been here before… [Bert Saraco, The Phantom Tollbooth, 21 October 2015]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/floodplain/1046676750)

CD tracklist:

01. This Cup – 4:17
02. Expedition – 3:48
03. Second Guess Girl – 3:33
04. Floodplain – 3:34
05. Enough – 3:49
06. Native Tongue – 4:11
07. I’ve Been Here Before – 3:50
08. On Your Mark – 4:34
09. I Feel the Love Between Us – 4:21
10. Signal – 4:53
11. Your Reality – 3:10
12. My Dream – 4:06
13. Expedition (Reprise) – 2:35

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