Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff

Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff is the tenth studio album by Grant-Lee Phillips. It was released on September 4, 2020, through Yep Roc Records. The album debuted at #9 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums Chart, #11 on Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) and #28 on Current Rock Albums.[1]

Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff
Studio album by
Grant-Lee Phillips
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2020 (2020-09-04)
LabelYep Roc
ProducerGrant-Lee Phillips
Grant-Lee Phillips chronology
Widdershins
(2018)		 Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff
(2020)

Background

The title for Phillips' tenth album is inspired by the words of his young daughter as she once screamed "Come on lightning, show us your stuff" while thrusting a branch at the night sky. In this album the singer-songwriter addresses the fragility of life; addressing such a deep topic with a sense of intensity and humor. Phillips himself said, "There's definitely a questioning - I notice it on my more direct or confessional songs like 'Mourning Dove'. I think about the people we are when we come into the world, how we get beat up along the way and sometimes corrupted in pursuit of some brass ring. As the line goes, the things we chase that can't be kept. I'll admit it's that nagging tendency to question everything that inspires a song like 'Drawing the Head' and even when I'm writing through the voice of a character, as I am with 'Straight to the Ground'."[2]

Critical reception

Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff was met with "generally favorable" reviews by critics. The review site Metacritic gives a weighted score out of 100 based on reviews found in publications, and Phillips' album earned a score of 79 based on 6 critic reviews.[3]

Lee Zimmerman, of American Songwriter, said, "It is, in short, an album for the ages, and a record that's representative of Phillips in all his prolific prowess."[4]

Mojo gave the album a 4 star review, saying, "Phillips' latest beguiles with all the wiles of a master songwriter...A late-onset triumph."[5]

Daniel Kohn, of Spin, said that in "Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff, his 10th studio album, [Phillips] continues to build on his gentle songwriting that’s defined his career.”[6]

AllMusic gave Phillips' album 3.5/5 stars while saying, "Lightning Show Us Your Stuff doesn't feel like one of the truly great albums in Grant-Lee Phillips's catalog, but it's certainly a very good one, and any artist who can reliably turn out music this smart, impassioned, and well-crafted is someone who more than deserves a larger audience."[7]

Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Ain't Done Yet" Grant-Lee Phillips 3:26
2. "Drawing the Head" Grant-Lee Phillips 2:47
3. "Lowest Low" Grant-Lee Phillips 3:22
4. "Leave a Light On" Grant-Lee Phillips 3:51
5. "Mourning Dove" Grant-Lee Phillips 4:12
6. "Sometimes You Wake Up in Charleston" Grant-Lee Phillips 3:38
7. "Gather Up" Grant-Lee Phillips 2:59
8. "Straight to the Ground" Grant-Lee Phillips 5:26
9. "Coming To" Grant-Lee Phillips 4:36
10. "Walking in My Sleep" Grant-Lee Phillips 3:20
Total length: 37:39

Personnel

Musicians

  • Grant-Lee Phillips: Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Organ
  • Jay Bellerose: Drums, Percussion
  • Jennifer Condos: Bass
  • Eric Heywood: Pedal Steel, Guitars
  • Danny T. Levin: Euphonium, Trombonium, Coronet

Production

  • Produced by Grant-Lee Phillips
  • Recorded and Mixed by Pete Min at Lucy's Meat Market, Los Angeles, CA
  • Mastered by Kimberly Rosen at Knack Mastering, Ringwood, NJ[8]

References
  1. "Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  2. "GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS". GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  3. Lightning Show Us Your Stuff by Grant-Lee Phillips, retrieved 2021-06-29
  4. "Grant-Lee Phillips Offers a Gentle Resolve and Revelation Ideal for Modern Times on 'Lightning, Show Your Stuff'". American Songwriter. 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  5. Leiber, Sarah Jae. "Grant-Lee Phillips' New Album 'Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff' Out Today". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  6. "Grant-Lee Phillips Shares 'Straight to the Ground' From Upcoming Album". SPIN. 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  7. Lightning Show Us Your Stuff - Grant-Lee Phillips | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-06-29
  8. "Grant-Lee Phillips* - Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
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