Album Review: The Grahams 'Glory Bound: Deluxe Edition'

Courtesy: Conqueroo

Husband and wife duo The Grahams' 2015 release Glory Bound gets the deluxe treatment with five newly recorded, David Garza-produced tracks. This deluxe edition offers two new versions of songs from the original album, two re-imaginings of unreleased Grahams songs and one rendition of an Alejandro Escovedo tune. 

This time around, The Grahams brought in some of their famous friends to assist in bringing these tracks to life. Sean and Sara Watkins give an updated take on the propulsive opener "Glory Bound" with Sara alternating vocals with Alyssa as the song moves forward like the train on the cover. Garza and Suzanna Choffel are featured on the gospel-flavored "Mama" which also includes contributions from The Milk Carton Kids' Kenneth Pattengale on guitar and John Fullbright on piano. Fullbright (who also plays harmonica) and Alyssa share vocals on the affecting “Tender Annabelle" which finds Matt Hubbard adding a softness with his Wurlitzer organ while Escovedo's "Broken Bottle", the only song that the duo performs themselves, is possibly even more impactful than the original. The sweet, yet heart wrenching “The Lonely Ones,” closes out a collection that was forged out of friendship and a communal love of music, allowing others to come in, share, and shine, on an edition that is definitely glory bound. 

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