KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

Feeling Mortal

2013-03-15

Kris Kristofferson latest album, Feeling Mortal, couldn't sound more accurate. A well-established country songwriter since the 1970s, Kristofferson comes to themes of decaying relationships, sense of place, and, of course, mortality. Lyrically and sonically, the album shuffles forth slowly and deliberately, but with the sense of weight and experience accrued over a lifetime. Tracks like "Feeling Mortal" and "Bread for the Body" showcase Kristofferson at his best, capturing the reflections near the end of a life, and the homespun wisdom therein. Lyrics like "I built my own chains in the land of the free/A slave to the job that meant nothing to me/With three shiny cars and a split level home/To furnish the tomb I was dying to own" in "Bread for the Body" illustrate The lyrical talent at work and the sense of tragedy lurking beneath the surface. Though musically full of the familiar acoustic country ensemble, the album avoids static repetition, with each track containing a compelling narrative told with the honesty and simplicity of Kristofferson's voice. The simplicity of the musicianship might mask the album as simplistic itself, but with tracks as brutally honest as "Feeling Mortal," chances are that anyone listening to the album would hold that image for long. - Jacqueline Ristola

Quick Links:

• Krisofferson's Website