Entertainment Weekly (No. 761, p.83) - "[Griffin] makes even gloomy folk ravishing." - Rating: B+
Uncut (p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] gem, full of wonderfully direct narrative songs in a classic folk-country-rock vein, plus a couple of gospel-tinged numbers."
Dirty Linen (pp.45-6) - "[T]he production is rich and crisp - a perfect setting for what may be Griffin's most poignant, exquisite set of tunes yet."
Personnel: Patty Griffin (vocals, guitar, piano); Doug Lancio (guitar, mandolin); Craig Ross (baritone guitar, synthesizer, tambourine, percussion, background vocals); Lisa Germano (zither, violin); Michael Ramos (trumpet); Sumner Erickson (tuba); Ian McLagan (electric piano); Brian Beattie (field organ, arco bass); Frank Swart (bass instrument); J.D. Foster (bass guitar, percussion); Brady Blade, John Deaderick, Billy Beard, Jon Greene (drums); Emmylou Harris, Julie Miller, Buddy Miller (background vocals).
Recording information: Small Festival Balls, Austin, Texas; Wire Recording, Austin, Texas.
Expanding on her 2002 all-acoustic outing, 1000 KISSES, Patty Griffin delivers a stellar, full-band sound on her masterful fourth album, IMPOSSIBLE DREAM. With support from producer/guitarist Craig Ross, as well as guest vocalists Buddy and Julie Miller and Emmylou Harris, Griffin serves up a hearty mix of Americana-flavored fare marinated in organic ambiance. Possessing a voice with a slight twang, reminiscent of Iris DeMent, Griffin belies her Boston roots with a wealth of Southern-flavored songs that include "Standing," a goose-bump-inducing tune with gospel overtones, and "Useless Desires," a high-lonesome tale with fiddle accompaniment by Lisa Germano. Diehard Griffin fans will be pleased to finally see the studio version of longtime concert favorite "Florida" and a handful of tracks inexplicably rejected by her prior label. Foremost among them is the seven-minute epic "Mother of God," a gorgeous, piano-laced composition that threads memories together in a manner that shifts the mood from melancholy to bright hope.
