Preview: Mavis Staples "You Are Not Alone"

Jeff Tweedy joins Mavis Staples on stage at the Solid Sound Festival in North Adams MA

Mavis Staples' upcoming Jeff Tweedy-produced album You Are Not Alone is high on our list of most anticipated albums of the year.  It's been nearly a year since I learned about the collaboration, but my already-high expectations were raised exponentially after hearing the standout title track.  The song has Tweedy's unmistakable lyrical stamp yet falls comfortably in Staples' gospel wheelhouse - a song of reassurance in the face of uncertainty. 

I had the great opportunity to hear a few of these songs at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival a few weeks ago, where Tweedy joined Mavis on stage for a remarkable cross-generational collaboration between music icons.  Now, after hearing the full album, I can finally say that my high expectations have been fulfilled - the songs are fantastic and Mavis Staples and band sound energized.  A legend of gospel/soul making relevant music alongside one of the most creative and important songwriters of the last 15 years - it may sound like an unlikely pairing, but the results are undeniably great. 

Listen to the album in its entirety below, before the September 14 release date: