Patty Griffin may not be one of the most talented songwriters of her generation – but listening to Children Running Through, it’s hard to believe she’s anything but.  Full text...

There are times when listening to a new Patty Griffin album feels like taking a drink of your favorite wine. You know what to expect, you already love it, and you are ready to savor it. Children Running Through is like you put that wine away for a year or two and found that not only is it as good as you remember, it's even more complex, evocative, and intense than before.  Full text...

Patty Griffin is one of the most incisive songwriters out there today, but Children Running Through seems painted with broad strokes, with several songs conveying a mood more than they tell a story.  Full text...

Encouraged by snorting saxes and ash-can drumming, Griffin shows how much blues singer she has in her, minus the affectations, in "Stay on the Ride." And she's no barn-dance wallflower in "Getting Ready," which comes with jolts of guitar distortion and even feedback. The affirmation in "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)," a hymn of thanks to Martin Luther King Jr., needs a stronger, truly-gospel voice.  Full text...