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 As a huge Joan Osborne fan since the release of Relish in 1995, I have been waiting for over 5 years for the follow up album. It is merely hours after its release...and I am still listening to it for the 5th time. On the first listen, tracks that immediately stood out "Running out of Time", "Safety in Numbers", "Baby Love", and "Hurricaine" combine the sultryness of Joan's voice with the grit and rawness of the music she so finely cultivated on Relish. As with most great albums, "Righteous Love" is one that grows on the listener...with each new listen, the songs get stronger and better as they become more familiar. The combination of musical genres, from blues to country, rock to Eastern melodies, that Joan is able to meld together on tracks like "If I Was Your Man", and "Hurricaine" may seem odd at first, and perhaps a little disjointed, but the capabilities of Joan's voice to not only command, but inevitably transcend the music makes this one tiny inconsistency inconsequential. Joan definately has not forgotten her roots...remnants of her Early Recordings material flow through the slower tracks of "Righteous Love" and "Angel Face" and she continues to cover songs with more passion and splendor than the originals. Her rendition of Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" will make you weak in the knees and lower your head in agony. This album is openly full of Joan's signature rawness, while the hidden undercurrent of sexual energy begs you listen deeper the next time, and the time after that, and the time after that...The new material is familiar enough to please any Relish fan, while the simple traditional structure of the new songs may invite some listeners. And hopefully Joan will be remembered for more than just "that One of Us song"...if anything could do it, this album could. It is rising on my Favorite Albums Chart with every push of the play button.
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Joan's voice has improved significantly during her 5 year soul-searching. The more you listen to this CD the more you understand the power that lies behind Joan's words and music. Although nothing can top her live, this CD has a permanent spot in my car's CD player. Let's all pray her next album comes out in a much shorter time.
