Grace – Jeff Buckley

            This 1994 classic was Buckley’s first and only full-length release.  Since first listening to his song Hallelujah (and learning of his tragic death) a few years ago, I have wanted to listen to this legendary work.  Now that I’m reviewing albums and have access to one of the largest libraries in the country, I have no more excuses.

            Grace starts off with a very mellow, relaxed sound that gently creeps in.  That isn’t to say it isn’t powerful, intense music.  Rather, it is understated in its approach.  This is quite refreshing from most albums (good and bad) that typically start off with a bang.  As the track continues, it slowly builds until Buckley releases a loud, guttural, rock ‘n roll scream around the four minute mark.  This type of music is some of my favorite!  Track two is constructed in much the same way, starting off gently and building from there.  As I listen to this song I realize that this album isn’t really what I expected and it might take me some more time to get into than I originally thought.  His sometimes reserved, contemplative sound is definitely headier than most.  The third track is Last Goodbye.  This has more of a consistent soft-rock sound throughout.  While the song itself is decent, it’s one of the weakest on the album.  Track four, Lilac Wine, is where the album really starts to pick up creatively.  Though it is a cover of a tune by J. Shelton, Buckley infuses it with so much passion and raw, delicate emotion; the listener can’t help but be moved.  He shows a maturity beyond his years as he makes this song his own.  Five is a piece titled So Real.  This song is beautifully written, standing solidly amongst the covers between which it is placed.  In fact, it is perhaps the best Buckley-penned song on the album.  Though it starts off softer, it quickly dissolves into more of a rocker.  Later on noisy, disjunct guitars are brought in adding to its brilliance. 

            The second half of the album starts off with one of Buckley’s most well known songs, his iconic rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.  Obviously, I have known this song the longest and have always enjoyed his hauntingly beautiful rendition.  The arrangement is stark with just his reverb-laden voice and guitar.  This adds a certain raw, fragility that is simply Jeff Buckley at his best.  Track seven continues this creative peak with Lover, You Should Have Come Over.  With it’s chill, understated tone, Beatlesque arpeggios, and fantastic background vocals, it is another solid classic in this album’s line up.  This song also builds up slowly over the course of several minutes providing a decent change from a lot of groups who record tracks less than three and a half minutes in length.  Eight is Corpus Christi Carol, Buckley’s rendition of a Benjamin Britten arrangement.  The texture is again quite bare, sounding almost as if it were done in the style of the early renaissance period.  This shorter, softer piece provides an excellent contrast to Buckley’s slow-building, louder ones.  Track nine brings about an abrupt change as Buckley launches into an all out rocker.  I have to say I don’t care for the songs in which he rocks all the way through, this one included.  Its decent enough, but not as groundbreaking as some of his other tracks.  Dream Brother is number ten and provides an excellent conclusion to the album.  It starts off with a slow fade in complete with various Indian instruments including tablas played by Buckley himself.  The song builds from there turning into a fantastic rocker, and one of Buckley’s finest.  Unlike how it begins, the song ends somewhat abruptly leaving the listener in the wake of the album’s aftermath to contemplate what, exactly, they have just heard.

            When an artist dies at an early age, particularly when they are in their prime, extra caution must be observed when assessing the critical acclaim that accompanies their work.  Often critics are all too eager to give excessive praise, in an attempt to compensate for the artist’s short-lived career.  Rather then simply evaluating what is, they attempt to evaluate what is in a context of what might have been.  Such is not the case with Jeff Buckley.  He is the rare artist who actually deserves most if not all of the critical attention that is paid to him.  Though he only released a single album, it is a ground breaking one.  Regardless of the type of career he might have had, this is an album that stands head and shoulders above a lot of others.  Most artists either play as loud or fast as possible to get the attention of a sizeable audience.  Jeff Buckley didn’t have to do either.  And that is what makes this alternative rock at it’s finest.