In my dream, I am sitting across from a Southern grandmother who has befriended me as I travel through the southeast states (in a VW van, of course). She has taken me under her wing and given me every ounce of Southern hospitality and heartfelt love that can be mustered. She is teaching me how to make homemade fried chicken and is filling my head with words upon words of stories.
Essentially, this dream is a projection of feelings and images — feelings that have emerged as I’ve listened to songs, become enraptured in tales, experienced places and met people I’ve never seen.
This dream seems attainable and almost realistic after listening to “The River and the Thread,” Rosanne Cash’s latest album. The daughter and subsequent heir of crooner Johnny Cash has released an album filled with Southern soul and stories in the form of gentle songs and real-life references.
“The River and the Thread” balances on a tightrope between easy listening indie music and the typical country album. The result is a delightful concoction of harmony that slowly guides you down the road Cash herself has been traveling. It leaves you standing at the end of that street, completely absorbed and utterly relaxed.
Weaving in and out of Southern hearts and promises of independent living, Cash establishes her mark as an artist and reminds the music world of her talent for lyrical writing. Although her voice does not match the best of the best, her soul shines through her words, which are quite superb.
Though she depicts Southern vibes and stories in her album, Cash lives in New York City. Her residency has had a distinct influence on her music. It keeps her tunes in the country genre, and it allows the music to stand apart from the expected twang.
Cash paints an idyllic setting with her soothing voice and easy lyrics. Her quiet stories take you by surprise, but that is what makes them great. It takes a few listens before you realize the soft story she sings in “Money Road” depicts Emmett Till and his unjust murder. Cash artfully weaves the history of the South into modern references as she captures every emotion under the sun.
Still, Cash’s album is not heavy through and through. Calm lullabies emerge in “Etta’s Tune” and “Night School,” both nostalgic pieces depicting past friends and hurts. Name-dropping places like the Mason-Dixon Line, Nashville, Mississippi and most particularly, Memphis, Cash stays true to Southern roots and implements literal locations in her songs.
Another favorite is “Modern Blue,” a rousing piece expressing hope for a better future and the desire to always return home. Cash has a distinct ability to paint collages through her words, producing many stories that are not only delightful to listen to but also are completely relatable.
Cash has most definitely fueled my dream of experiencing the Southern culture and has no doubt inspired hundreds of other hearts as well.