The River & the Thread

Rosanne Cash wrote this mostly acoustic album on a road trip to her father Johnny's childhood home; the songs are infused with a sense of history and a traditional country/folk sound. "The Sunken Lands" tells the story of a Civil War bride, its mandolin adding an old-world feel. "The Long Way Home," about Rosanne's own childhood, sets her reflective voice to a stripped-down arrangement. But the album has a rocking side, as "Modern Blue" sports a gutsy vocal, a full electric band, and lively lead guitar.