Patty Griffin
Downtown Church
Credential Recordings****

CD CHOICE:It's a funny thing, but there often appears to be a gulf in acceptability between white and black American gospel music. The latter is acknowledged as a key building block in popular music, while suspicions linger, despite the likes of Alison Krauss and indeed Elvis Presley, that white gospel is just a musical backdrop to preachers such as Pat Robertson.

So what happens when you pair an acclaimed white singer- songwriter of Irish-American extraction who oozes black gospel tendencies with a white southern guitar whizz, producer and gospel champion? The answer is this wonderfully life-affirming, warm and respectful collection of songs, old and new, in which Patty Griffin positively glows in the musical settings created by producer Buddy Miller.

Downtown Churchis Griffin's seventh album, and the line-up of guests on this collection – Shawn Colvin, Emmylou Harris and renowned gospel group The Fairfield Four – are testimony to her status. Though essentially a folk singer, Griffin's thoughtful, introspective songs and her inspired emotive singing elevates her well above the pack.

On this album Griffin stretches into border gospel ( Virgen de Guadalupe), classic white country (Hank Williams's House of Gold), church hymn ( All Creatures of Our God and King) and even rockabilly ( Move Upand I Smell a Rat). The manner in which she evokes the pain of the mother in Waiting for My Childis hard to beat.

Though this is a gospel album there is no sense of religiosity or overbearing blessed-out communing. Nor is the selection of songs or their tone predictable. Downtown Churchis about the beliefs and feelings that carry us through this particular journey. Griffin's pure and intense voice comes alive inside these often simple songs of searching, solace and comforting. www.pattygriffin. net

Download tracks: Waiting for My Child, House of Gold, I Smell a Rat