The Things That We Are Made Of [LP]

by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Overview

After the orchestral recording Songs from the Movie in early 2014, Mary Chapin Carpenter returns to basics. Working with Grammy-nominated producer Dave Cobb and a small group of musicians at his Nashville studio, The Things That We Are Made Of is a powerful collection that bridges two poles of existential tension: the past and the present with the future, ever uncertain, looming beyond our grasp. Cobb is a full collaborator here, a true believer who adds only what's necessary to remain true to the song, no matter where it leads. Carpenter's gentle but authoritative voice and acoustic guitar are firmly at the center of each track. Cobb creates set pieces for her lyrics and melodies to reveal their depths, layer by layer. "Something Tamed Something Wild" notes the blurred lines between memory, hard-won experience, regret, and the ability to bear them in the moment. Framed by an insistent backbeat, jangly electric guitars, and a wafting Mellotron, her acoustic guitar and vocal are the only things that ground the tune to earth. "Map of My Heart" borders on country rock with honky tonk piano and organ. Lyrically, she compares the likeness of her own wounded spirit to another's by asking the unanswerable questions about belonging, home, and desire. "Oh Rosetta" is a prayer of doubt and confusion offered in solitude to the ghost of blues guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, while a swelling gospelized organ claims the bridge. The set's most haunting cut "Hand on My Back," floats amid layers of acoustic guitars, a Rhodes piano, and Eamon McLoughlin's strings. It reveals what it's like to be fully seen by another after a lifetime of longing for it. In "The Blue Distance," a Celtic melody underpins a lyric drenched in the willingness to follow her vulnerability with bravery. "Note on a Windshield" paints the protagonist hesitantly taking a chance on a romantic connection, as she leaves her phone number in a parking lot and then watches the rain wash it away. Cobb's dreamy backdrop resembles Owen Bradley's work with Patsy Cline. Carpenter's protagonist is undaunted in the end: "There's nothing holding us down/When there's nothing left to reveal...." Carpenter's always provided listeners ready access to the worlds inside her songs. That's equally true here, even when what they encounter is naked and difficult to feel -- let alone confront. On The Things That We Are Made Of, she delivers with grit, grace, and the courage to accept life on its own terms. There is always a glimmer of hope. For Carpenter, redemption comes from knowing who we are in spite (or because) of what we wished for, how we reconcile it in the present in the time allotted, and who we become as a result. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	05/06/2016
Label:	Lambent Light Records
UPC:	0083832192310
Rank:	7723

Tracks

1. Something Tamed Something Wild
2. The Middle Ages
3. What Does it Mean to Travel
4. Livingston
5. Map of My Heart
6. Oh Rosetta
7. Deep Deep Down Heart
8. Hand on My Back
9. The Blue Distance
10. Note on a Windshield
11. The Things That We Are Made Of

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mary Chapin Carpenter   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Annie Clements   Bass
Eamon McLoughlin   Strings
Mike Webb   Piano,Mellotron,Reed Organ,Fender Rhodes
Dave Cobb   Mellotron,Percussion,Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Gut String Guitar
Chris Powell   Drums,Percussion
Brian Allen   Bass
Jimmy Wallace   Piano

Technical Credits

Eamon McLoughlin   String Engineer
Pete Lyman   Mastering Engineer
Dave Cobb   Mixing,Producer
Mary Chapin Carpenter   Composer
Lisa Wright   Design,Artwork
Aaron Farrington   Photography
Matt Ross-Spang   Mixing,Engineer
Kit Peltzel   Design,Artwork
Mike Stankiewicz   Assistant Engineer