A singer and songwriter with a rich, full-bodied voice that engages the senses, Grace Potter is an artist who continues to make her mark on the music world. Originally launching her career over two decades ago fronting Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Potter showed the maturity and poise of a seasoned vocalist even at a young age. Releasing music as a solo artist, as well as with her band over a decade plus span, Potter opted to go solo back in 2015; put out two strong albums after this time marker, first with Midnight in ’15 and then Daylight in ’19. Pieces of work that are arguably on different ends of the musical spectrum, but each no less effective, recently celebrating her forty birthday, Potter now returned in 2023 with her latest album Mother Road.
Marking her fifth studio record strictly under own name, and released on August 18th through Fantasy Records, Mother Road is a concept record which explores distant memories, what-ifs, and everything in-between. Like all of us, Potter has her share of life experiences; some which you can laugh about and others you might not be so proud of. The natural progression for any person with an introspective mind, the point of enlightenment is different for all, but once we reach that moment, we see our choices for what they are.
That is where Mother Road comes in. Ten tracks in total, it follows a highway where there is uninhabited partying, rebellious care-free attitudes, but also glimpses of heartbreak that follows. It is an album that reflects on raw emotion, consequences, but also the retrospective of living and learning.
This theme in mind, the music that encompasses Mother Road itself is a delightful mix of Soul, Blues, Country, Rock-n-Roll, and even tinges of Pop. Bringing it all together is Potter’s storytelling where you can almost envision the artist sitting on a stool with a guitar in-hand rapping to you about a cautionary tale. Emotive and at times theatrical, Potter’s delivery is rough, gruff, and down right dirty at times. Whatever the case, her performance on each of the tracks really tap into the depths of your soul. From the opening title-track, to songs like “Ready Set Go,” which bleeds soulful vibes, to the wild “Good Time,” there is truly no down point. Amidst this you also have the tragic “Little Hitchhiker,” the mystical tone of “Lady Vagabond,” blusey, smokey room atmosphere of “All My Ghosts,” and ever-so cool, smooth delivery of “Rose-Colored Rearview.”
In all, Potter has created an album which could easily be envisioned as a screenplay for a feature film. Creativity and refreshing to hear, the cinematic attributes feel more like a classic concept Rock album of yesteryear than anything else. A welcomed, fun listen, Cryptic Rock gives Mother Road 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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