Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac

86%
Rosanne Cash's new album opens up with a faint sound. Upon close listening, we recognize it: it is the legendary Man in Black, Johnny Cash, Rosanne's father, urging her to "come on." The sad reality of Rosanne Cash's current life is that she lost her father, her mother Vivian, and her step-mother June Carter in a period of less than 2 years.

The album reflects the dichotomy of the sadness of mourning for them, and the occasional joy of their memories. While the album may sound darker and colder than other releases, it is by no means utterly depressing.

The lyrics are personal without ever sounding self-pitying or artificial. They hit strongly by being open and honest, with no need for ,amy elaborate metaphors or the like. On the opener, "Black Cadilac", Cash sings: "Now one of us gets to go to heaven/While one has to stay here in hell." These kinds of reflections are common as Cash sorts out her feelings throughout the CD.

While generally the album will be considered alternative country, its sound is by no means dominated by country. Indeed, some songs don't sound very much like country at all. Cash is willing to experiment - and most often when she takes a chance, it works. For example, "Like Fugitives" has a drum track that sounds... Trip-Hop-ish, oddly enough. Although, for the most part, the album has soft sound, Cash knows when it is appropiate to rock. "Dreams are not my Home" hits with fury but at the same time doesn't sound out of place.

On the piano-driven "I Was Watching You", Cash sings about her parents relationship. Cash begins with a description of their marriage, where Cash sings to her parents: "I was watching you from above / 'Cause long before life, there was love." The song comes full circle at the end, where Cash says she hears her father say, "I'll be watching you from above / 'Cause long after life, there is love." This last line perhaps serves to illustrate the central theme of "Black Cadillac".

Although some songs, including "I Was Watching You", have some religious connections, Rosanne, unlike her father, has been noted as not very religious. Indeed some songs have Cash realizing that they're gone, and questioning her own mortality. Sometimes she comes out with an outright indictment of organized religion. This mix of ideas probably arises from the normal mourning process which very often involves confusion and uncertanity, including questioning of one's own religious beliefs. If there is a God, why did He let them die? But if there isn't a God, does that mean they are gone for good?

Some songs on here are not as good as others. However, with the deep personal meaning attached to each song, it's hard not to pay attention. That's not to say that Cash relies on the listener's sympathy - on the contrary, she has grown quite a lot as a singer and songwriter and achieves her highest point so far in her career.

The last song of the album, "The Good Intent" opens with another home recording of a young Johnny Cash. One can hear a baby, presumably Rosanne, and then, the father saying "bye, bye bye." Home recordings on an album would normally sound out of place, or gimmicky, but here, they reinforce the message.

After 45 and a half minutes of music, we get to the last track, simply titled "0:71". It is 71 seconds of silence. A time to reflect, perhaps. Perhaps it is the best way to end an album that is so moving, bittersweet, and just beautiful.

-Luis