If you're an artist with a politically progressive streak, there's a decent chance you've felt the need to comment on the state of the world since January 2017, and singer and songwriter
Eliza Gilkyson certainly falls into that category.
Gilkyson surely had no idea when she was recording her album 2020, ten songs that deal in political and social themes with passion and hope, that it would end up being released in April 2020 as a global pandemic was being politicized in a way few could have ever imagined. In the heat of that particular moment, 2020's earnest pleas for social justice and equality ring in an unexpected way, as if she's speaking with honesty and commitment about things that matter but is unable to comment on a particular elephant that has recently stumbled into the room. Context has changed the way 2020 plays in its initial release, yet that doesn't in any way dull the quality of
Gilkyson's songwriting and performances, which are splendid. If time has added a faint bit of wear to
Gilkyson's voice, it adds a sense of wisdom and gravitas that amplifies the power of her lyrics, and as a writer, these tunes come from the heart while also sounding intelligent and optimistic without feeling delusional, especially the organizing anthem "Sooner or Later" and the gospel-influenced "Peace in Our Hearts." "Beach Haven" finds
Gilkyson writing music for a set of unpublished lyrics written by
Woody Guthrie in 1952 protesting the racist housing practices of his landlord who just so happened to be Fred Trump, the father of Donald Trump. And if the world may not really need new covers of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" or "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall,"
Gilkyson brings a warmth and resilience to the songs that reminds us some battles may never be won but that doesn't mean they aren't worth the fight. At a time when inspiration and encouragement feel needed in a time of crisis, 2020 delivers on both, and shows
Gilkyson is a writer and vocalist whose talents remain estimable. ~ Mark Deming