Livin' On A High Note
Featuring production by M. Ward and boasting songwriting credits from Nick Cave, Neko Case, Justin Vernon, and others, Mavis Staples' Livin' on a High Note is a happy record. Its beneficent energy is refreshing after the cloistered prayer of last year’s Your Good Fortune and two thoughtful Jeff Tweedy-produced records.
The title of Mavis Staples' fourth studio album for the Anti- label could apply to any given point in the singer's career, but in early 2016 it seemed especially apt.
"I've got friends and I've got family/I got help from all the people who love me."
The songwriting credits on Staples’ latest read like a Who’s Who of alternative music
Mavis Staples’ 13th solo album has her singing songs by Nick Cave, Tune-Yards and others, and it contains some stirring stuff