ALBUM REVIEW: The Vulnerable, Invincible Amy Helm
Henry Carrigan
Posted On September 5, 2024
Amy Helm dwells in the songs she writes, turning her phrases and words in and out. She delivers little masterpieces of folk and soul that plumb the depths of human emotion. On Silver City, her fourth album, Helm tells the stories of various women, reclaiming their voices, naming their struggles, and paying tribute to their strength.
On “If I Was King,” Helm channels the voice of her great-grandmother. She imagines her telling her own story about living life free from the constraints of her husband and her rural world.
If I was king
I would shake this world
And bring it down to its knees
I’d have my baby here by me
I’d leave Arkansas
For a city by the sea
The exquisite title track floats like a lullaby, riding on the strains of a B3, dancing slowly through the pain and grief of divorce. Helm has always been a soul singer of the first order and her vocals soar on “Mt. Guardian,” “Money on 7,” and “Baby Come Back.” Helm’s voice spirals to the stratosphere on “Mt. Guardian,” an ode to her failures and triumphs as a single parent.
“Money on 7” develops slowly, delivering a gospel-soul vibe as Zach Djanikian and Catherine Russell fill in on ethereal harmonies. Stuart Bogie guides the singers with his wailing tenor sax. “Baby Come Back” testifies with blaring soul harmonies and horns, encouraging a young woman to reclaim her strength and come back from the brink of drug abuse.
All told, Silver City showcases Helm’s genius for storytelling, her moving lyrics, and her ability to convey both the vulnerability and invincibility of women.
Amy Helm’s Silver City releases Sep. 6 on Sun Records.
