To Rise You Gotta Fall

by Nicki Bluhm

Overview

Heartbreak is never any fun, but it sure seems to be good fuel for the creative process. Nicki Bluhm first found an audience for her rich, smoky voice while making music with her husband Tim Bluhm, who produced her early albums and co-founded their band, the Gramblers. But in November 2015, the Bluhms revealed they were getting a divorce, and their creative partnership ended along with their marriage. Splitting up was clearly not a pleasant experience for Nicki, and she lays out all her hurt and disappointment on her 2018 album, To Rise You Gotta Fall. This is a breakup album if there ever were such a thing, but Bluhm doesn't sound like the experience has weakened her. There are bittersweet moments in "Staring at the Sun" and "Last to Know" where Bluhm reveals her emotional wounds, but more often she sounds clear-eyed in her postmortem of her relationship ("Something Really Mean") or defiant as she moves past the wreckage ("Can't Fool the Fool" and "Things I've Done"). Musically, To Rise You Gotta Fall is steeped in vintage R&B and soul with a dash of country for seasoning, and the bluesy angles of the music are a perfect match for Bluhm's ruminations on a love that used to be. The album was cut in Memphis at the legendary Sam Phillips Recording Studio, and producer Matt Ross-Spang has put together a band that can evoke the sounds of R&B past without sounding dated or falsely nostalgic. And To Rise You Gotta Fall features some of Bluhm's finest vocal work, filled with passion and nuance at the same time, and for all the powerful emotions in play here, she doesn't overplay, and the focus and restraint only make this music more intense. Hopefully Nicki Bluhm won't have to get dumped again for her to make an album this good, but at least she found a way to put her broken heart to good use, and To Rise You Gotta Fall ranks with her best music to date. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/01/2018
Label:	Compass
UPC:	0766397471310
Rank:	83522

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Nicki Bluhm   Primary Artist,Clapping
Ken Coomer   Drums,Percussion
Jim Spake   Sax (Baritone)
Rick Steff   Piano,Wurlitzer,Piano (Upright)
Susan Marshall   Vocals (Background)
Will Sexton   Guitar (Electric)
Sam Shoup   Mellotron
Dave Smith   Bass
Reba Russell   Vocals (Background)
Heather Trussell   Violin
Neal Shaffer   Violin
Matt Ross-Spang   Clapping,Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Gut String Guitar
Wesley Graham   Clapping
Elen Wroten   Cello
Tamatha Holt   Viola

Technical Credits

Steve Poltz   Composer
Jonathan Pines   Mastering
Scot Sax   Composer
Rick Steff   Composer
Dan Penn   Composer
Sam Shoup   String Arrangements
Ryan Adams   Composer
Nicki Bluhm   Composer
Alexi Glickman   Composer
Leroy Daniel   Composer
Robert Hakalski   Package Design
Simon Gugala   Composer
Matt Ross-Spang   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Noah Abrams   Photography
Wesley Graham   Second Engineer