Album Review: Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, Saving Grace

Saving Grace is the 12th album by Robert Plant, this one credited to him and Suzi Dian, the vocalist of the band of that name, with whom Plant has toured since 2019. Born of the lockdown era, it features 10 versions of folk and blues songs from a variety of sources, with the emphasis on a softer dynamic, leaning more towards Lead Belly than Led Zep.

The album opens with an understated take on Memphis Minnie’s ‘Chevrolet’, with shuffling drums, chiming strings, delicate vocals and gossamer harmonies.

The traditional ‘As I Roved Out’ has Middle Eastern embellishments over a sturdier bedrock, and ‘It’s a Beautiful Day Today’ – from the quill of Moby Grape’s bassist Bob Mosley – is an inspired choice.

Those bright efforts stand in contrast to the blues-tinged, banjofied version of Blind Willie Johnson’s depression-era ‘Soul Of A Man’. The collection closes with ‘Gospel Plough’, coincidentally also due to appear in a ’60s version by Bob Dylan on his forthcoming bootleg collection. The Plant recording of this black spiritual is more adventurous, and rounds off a super-satisfying album with aplomb.

8/10