Over the course of her studio albums, Patty Griffin has constantly changed her approach; and from the edgy ‘Flaming Red’ through to the acoustic excellence of ‘1000 Kisses’ she could never be accused of standing still. This, her fifth disc also has a distinct feel, and while it has elements of her previous albums, it has a more confident air, and everything from the vocals, to the writing through to the arrangements feels more assertive. That confidence and swagger makes this her most accessible and fully rounded disc yet.
Her writing has always been up there with the best of her generation (the number of covers of her songs by contemporary artists is testament to this) and this disc continues the theme with some exceptional lyrics, but her vocals have changed a little and she sings with a little more force and power on this recording – her soprano is still beautifully clear but it seems a little more bold than before.
‘Children Running Through’ is a dynamic disc, it moves around between styles and with a good mix of instrumentation but it’s all brought together by her crafted lyrics and clear vocals.
Throughout the disc she paints pictures of characters and situations that are beautifully constructed, and there’s a general theme of ‘movement’ to the lyrics with many characters in her tales either chasing something or running away from another. There are many excellent songs, but highlights include ‘Trapeze’ (a duet with Emmylou Harris); ‘Burgundy Shoes’ a ballad that ends up as a celebration; and ‘I Don’t Ever Give Up’ a powerful song about determination in the face of adversity.
Griffin has always been a deft and evocative storyteller who crams a huge amount of detail into her songs, and this album highlights both her songwriting and her versatile vocals better than any of her previous albums. A brilliant and varied album from one of the finest contemporary singer/songwriters around - exceptional.

Track listing
1 You'll Remember
2 Stay On The Ride
3 Trapeze
4 Getting Ready
5 Burgundy Shoes
6 Heavenly Day
7 No Bad News
8 Railroad Wings
9 Up To The Mountains (MLK Song)
10 I Don't Ever Give Up
11 Someone Else's Tomorrow
12 Crying Over

£13.49 (released 26 Feb 2007)