Mavis Staples We'll Never Turn Back

Mavis Staples' reputation as a stoic R&B and gospel singer is infallible. Having worked for upwards of forty years in the music industry and an inductee into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, she saw how music could play a role in the civil rights movement. The Staples Singers' 60s-era hits made her aware that music can make a difference - an awareness that came from singing in the church, where the life one leads and the songs one sings are always connected.

On Mavis Staples' newest record, We'll Never Turn Back, she offers an update on civil rights songs such as Down in Mississippi and Eyes on the Prize. Her purpose is single-minded: "It's 2007, and there are still so many problems in the world." Her voice, fiery and persistent, matches her purpose note-for-note.

The sound of the record - produced by Ry Cooder - moves away from traditional gospel instruments like horns, piano, and organs, and instead retains an earthy, rootsy feel. Jim Keltner's insistent drumming drives some of these songs, and Cooder's playing is sometime perfectly suited for the project, but other times seems horribly out of step with Mavis' intention. The uneven production, however, is not enough to distract us from Staples' message.

I suppose by attaching Cooder's name to this project, Staples is trying to reach a broader audience. Which is an admirable goal for this collection of tunes, and reminds me of the story of her father dragging her out to play nightclubs when she was 11 so that the Staples family could "take the church to the people." It is the same sort of inspired idea driving the concept of this album.

Who can argue with Staples, who at 67 retains the passion for these issues that others have let fall by the wayside? While there is the danger of this becoming soft, Starbucks-friendly music - protest songs for the latte set - Staples' intent pushes any of these concerns aside. Time has offered a slew of new injustices - the horribly failed leadership after Hurricane Katrina being just one that Staples sings about - and injustice, sadly, remains timeless. Staples, her voice roaring with a feverish indignity, is here to remind us of this fact, but at the same time she attacks injustice head-on with her voice and these songs, a fighter with a great deal of fight still left in her.