Album Review: Rhiannon Giddens, Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

Rhiannon Giddens has become more than a musician; the Grammy and Pulitzer winner has become a keeper of the American folk flame.

When she’s not touring or acting, Giddens runs her own music festival celebrating non-mainstream black culture. In addition, she’s also artistic director of Yo-Yo-Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, and hosts a music show on PBS.

This seventh studio album (not including her work with Carolina Chocolate Drops or Our Native Daughters) was recorded in Louisiana in sessions during her 2024/25 North American Tour. All 10 tracks were taped live, and there’s a real feeling of being an eavesdropper in the room while the magic happened, from the gospel flame of ‘Angel Fire Rise’ to the down-home stomp of ‘Step Away Blues’, where Dirk Powell’s fiddle-playing is a joy to behold.

‘Wish In Vain’ is a sad statement on the refugee crisis of modern times, which sounds like it could be a hundred years old. It features an unusually formal vocal duet from Giddens and Powell, who co-wrote the song, one of four new tunes by the duo. Indeed, co-producer Powell’s contribution to the record is as vital as Giddens’, nowhere moreso than on ‘Freight Train’, where Powell’s intricate guitar pattern would leave most players’ fingers in a knot.

The soaring title track sees Giddens putting Emily Dickinson’s 1860s poem to music, and the result is every bit as impressive as you could hope for, with beautiful guitar picking from Congolese musician Niwel Tsumbu. Folk yeah!

7/10