Margaret Glaspy I Am Both
Margaret Glaspy’s latest album, I Am Both, is a master class in miscommunication. And, in this case, it’s a compliment to the songwriting. Glaspy’s characters talk past each other, seemingly make a game out of misunderstandings and, frequently, enrich each other’s lives by leaving (occasionally reappearing to shake things up all over again). It’s the work of a writer who’s made some (all?) of these mistakes, been bettered by learning from them, and hopes that others will see, in her struggles, that growth is possible.
I Am Both opens with one of this year’s sharpest songs. “Michigan” begins as a pretty-enough acoustic ambler full of minute details – “And your high beams are running through the seams of my window shades” – but quickly turns into a dressing-down of a lover who has come to regret their actions – “You said you didn’t need me/Well, who’s standing in whose driveway.” As they do across the record, Glaspy’s small group of musicians punctuates her precision – here, it’s the playfulness of Patrick Warren’s keys that matches the teasing tone of Glaspy’s words. Glaspy’s own deft guitar playing also accents her songs. Specifically, “Petty” begins with clean electric tones before biting back, along with Jay Bellerose’s drums, as the song’s protagonist fails at using her words – “That’s why I’m folding your laundry, and I’m making a meal of it/I’m slamming doors you leave open, and I’m hoping you’re feeling it.”
Glaspy also makes room for a softer approach on I Am Both. “Reminder” is a moment of introspection where scars do more than build character – “And even if I fall on my face and hit the ground/Blood on my face is better than clown makeup.” And the pensive title track reminds us that two things can be true – “And even if some beauty leads you blind/Well, guess what – they’re allowed to change their minds” – even when they seem at odds. But while it’s conflict and contradiction that drive Glaspy’s songs on I Am Both – witness “Sharp Knife,” where anyone who’s judged “different” is required a measure of self-protection (“It seems if you’re a diamond in the dark/You’re going to need to carry something sharp”), it’s in contrition that the songs find their heartbeat. Circle back to “Petty,” where the singer knows her stubborn anger is only serving to hide her true self – “I’m sorry for being so petty/Oh I let my worst get/The best of me.” The apology is a small measure of growth, cutting through the miscommunication to better serve the relationship.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Wildest Dreams” – The one track on the record where making amends is dismissed out-of-hand has Glaspy, with a wisp of organ from Bellerose, looking toward a future free of a tremendous burden – “Since you left all the ‘should have beens’/Have become things that could be.”
I Am Both was produced by Joe Henry, engineered and mixed by Patrick Dillett and Thom Beemer and mastered by Chris Gheringer. All songs written by Margaret Glaspy. Musicians on the album include Glaspy (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, harmonica), Jay Bellerose (drums, percussion), Patrick Warren (keys, bells, piano, organ) and Ross Gallagher (bass).
Go here to order/stream I Am Both (out August 7): https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/margaret-glaspy
https://ffm.to/iamboth
Check out tour dates here: https://margaretglaspy.com/tour