The River & The Thread (studio album) by Rosanne Cash

This was my Album of the Year for 2014 because: 1. It was a weak year. 2. she's reached the point where her lesser work is better than market. and 3. "Etta's Tune" is the kind of track that makes the rest of an album irrelevant. With Etta Grant widowed, Rosanne's childhood was finally, irrevocably over, and she was artist enough now to dissect that and lay it out in front of you without having to be so crude as to mention that these were your guts also and you were going to have to learn this lesson with her, soon if not now.

From buzzdainer 10/04/2019 22:24

In terms of genre, sometimes there's a fine line between the alt-country twang that I generally love and the Nashville country bombast that I generally loathe. Rosanne Cash is one of those artists that seems to tread the line between those two perspectives. Generally speaking, I think I like her a little bit more as a person than I do as a musician. Having said that, though, The River and the Thread is definitely one of her strongest efforts, maybe even her best. Her storytelling, especially on songs such as "A Feather's Not a Bird," is a strength, and here the production is cleaner and edgier than on some of her more countrified albums. She's probably at her best, in fact, when she's not conforming to any particular genre at all, but instead telling compelling stories about America's lands and people.

Brilliant album full of great songs with, when the master calls the roll, being the best. Alongside Rufus Wainwright, Cash is an artist who has successfully stepped out from under their parent's shadows.

From zags7000 06/25/2015 09:15

Alongside Black Cadillac as the greatest of her later career. One must really pay attention to get the most out of it and listen to it more than once. When the Master Calls the Roll is the best here.

Redundant and expected country music, but good lyrics. This album's worth a good listen.