Storm and Grace

Jeremy V. Jones

Style: Americana blues-rock; compare to Bonnie Raitt, Ashley Cleveland, Shelby Lynn

Storm & Grace [Deluxe Edition]

Storm & Grace [Deluxe Edition]

Lisa Marie Presley

Import

May 15, 2012

Top tracks: “Forgiving,” “Storm & Grace,” “Soften the Blows”

Being the daughter of Elvis and ex-wife of Michael Jackson brings some baggage, but Lisa Marie Presley finally sounds comfortable in her own skin on her soulful third album. Much credit goes to producer T Bone Burnett, who backs Presley’s dusky alto with bluesy, alt-country instrumentation. The restraint accentuates her Memphis roots and powers transparent, confessional lyrics as Presley seeks redemption and reconciliation. She confronts life’s storms with a weathered maturity and grapples for grace with stark honesty—with occasional salty language (including a couple s-words). “So Long” blasts religion, but “Forgiving” pleads “I want to find in me / that I can still believe in being forgiven.”

Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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