Listening to the self-titled debut album by singer-songwriter Grace Pettis, it’s no surprise to learn that she was recently awarded the “Best Song” prize in the Mountain Stage New Song Festival. Like last year’s winner Rose Polenzani, Grace is a very talented independent artist who plays and sings delicately beautiful songs.
Songs like the opener “The Gypsy’s Code” possess the dusky Western folk sound of Patty Griffin and Kate Rusby, and Grace’s voice has a warm lilt similar to Beth Nielson Chapman.
“Nine to Five Girl” is a melancholy blue collar anthem for all of the overworked, under tipped waitresses across America. It is the song that earned Grace the NewSong Festival award.
The album’s liner notes say Grace wrote the lovely ballad “A Bird May Love” when she was just fourteen years old. A duet with singer-guitarist Colin Brooks, it’s my personal favorite song on the album.
“What You Didn’t Want to Know” is a gentle communion between the performer and the heartbroken audience members that hear their lives reflected in her songs.
Also of note are the buoyant love ditty “Italy” and the fragile plea for affection “Speak Tenderly.”
Grace will graduate from college in May, and she wrote every beautiful song on her debut.
Grace Pettis – A Bird May Love (mp3 expired) *
*mp3 posted for limited time w/ permission of artist
Grace Pettis Official Site (Buy CD)
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