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Jul 17, 2013You Are Not Alone, her 2010 collaboration with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, won Staples her first Grammy. The follow up is even better.
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Jun 25, 2013Not every song on One True Vine is quite as compelling [as Low cover "Holy Ghost"]--the Funkadelic cover "Can You Get To That" is a little uneven—but Staples sings with such grace and dignity that it remains a moving listen.
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Entertainment WeeklyJun 21, 2013[Producer Jeff Tweedy] provides many nicely spare showcases for her silken vocals. [28 Jun 2013]
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Jun 25, 2013Staples makes redemption a matter of small things, tiny actions and incremental leaps of believing. Accessible to the fallen and faltering, on One True Vine grace is a funky thing.
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Jul 23, 2013The overall mood, however, is thoughtful and somber: unlike You Are Not Alone, this is a contemplative late-night album rather than a celebratory Sunday morning one. It’s wonderful.
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MojoJul 10, 2013Like a fine wine continuing to mature, Mavis's One True Vine should be allowed to breathe. [Aug 2013, p.87]
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Jul 1, 2013There isn’t a shadow of doubt expressed here about where Mavis is going, but there is plenty of feeling that the journey, like all journeys, is bordered with darkness.
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Jun 24, 2013As a whole, One True Vine is as introspective and diffident as a gospel album can be.
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Jun 24, 2013The record does what gospel should--lift you up.
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Jun 24, 2013Throughout, Tweedy and company give Mavis even more room than on You Are Not Alone. While this isn't as exciting, the grip is instant, hard to break.
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Jun 24, 2013[Producer Jeff Tweedy's] his raw production lending itself to the Staples powerful presence.
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Jun 21, 2013Throughout, Tweedy’s arrangements are the soul of discretion, employing the merest suggestions of rhythm and texture to show Staples’ iconic voice to best advantage.
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Jun 24, 2013Staples is reaffirming her place as one of the great voices of the last half-century.
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Jun 21, 2013As on previous record You Are Not Alone, his production is light and crisp, allowing Staples' voice to take center stage. [Jun-Jul 2013, p.91]
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Jun 26, 2013One True Vine tarries too long in doubt before finally breaking that dour spell and inviting the listener in on the celebration.
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MagnetJul 17, 2013There's a lot of worthwhile material for her to perform here. [No. 100, p.59]
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UncutJul 10, 2013One True Vine is a seamless sequel. [Aug 2013, p.70]
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Jul 8, 2013So while there are a few moments of blandness, a few moments where tradition sits a little too comfortably for a little too long and where some of us may be a little lost lyrically, there is never any question of the inherent power of Staples’ voice.
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Jun 27, 2013It’s a rich, beautifully crafted and moving experience, and further evidence that the Mavis Staples/Jeff Tweedy partnership is the musical equivalent of a marriage made in heaven.
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Jun 25, 2013One True Vine shows there isn't much the ex-Staple Singer can't make gorgeous and lived-in.
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Jun 24, 2013Tweedy has become a master of subtlety in the studio and the blending of instruments and voices is seamless. Above it all is Staples' unassailable conviction.
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Jul 8, 2013It may not always live up to its title, but it’s certainly an interesting branch of what will hopefully continue to be a long and fruitful partnership.
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Jun 21, 2013The mood is sombre, the pace slow-to-mid and Staples means every word she sings.