Tomorrow Is My Turn
Tomorrow Is My Turn brings together folk, blues, country and gospel through the strength of one voice. Rhiannon Giddens treats these songs as material with something left to say, giving familiar forms a clear and welcoming presence. T Bone Burnett's production provides an attractive setting, but the record works because Giddens can move between styles without losing her own character.
The selection centres on songs written or popularised by women. That gives the album a purpose beyond a collection of favourite covers, although it never needs an explanation to make the music engaging. The performances carry the connection, finding different ways to express resolve, sadness and pleasure.
She's Got You draws country and soul closer together. Giddens gives the melody enough room to show its hurt without making every phrase a large dramatic gesture. Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind takes another route, keeping its movement gentle and its delivery understated. Both show how carefully she can shape a song while allowing its simplicity to remain useful.
Black Is the Color makes the record's relationship with tradition more explicit. A modern rhythmic undercurrent sits beside the older folk material, changing the feel without overwhelming the tune. Shake Sugaree is warmer and lighter, with a sweet acoustic setting that suits the ease of the singing.
Waterboy reveals a firmer, more commanding side of the voice. Up Above My Head turns towards open gospel joy, helped by lively guitar playing. These changes keep the album from becoming too polite, giving its more restrained performances something stronger to work against.
The title track reaches beyond the American roots setting into a more theatrical song style. Angel City then closes with a tender original, bringing the attention back to Giddens herself after so many different musical connections. Neither feels out of place because the voice makes the sequence coherent.
The careful arrangements sometimes favour elegance over risk, so this is more a record of expressive interpretation than a radical reshaping of its sources. Its appeal lies in the details: the warmth of a phrase, a change in rhythmic feel, or the space left around a melody. Giddens makes those choices count, giving the album both an immediate welcome and enough depth to hold attention.
