Robert Plant's »Saving Grace«, sein erstes Album mit einer neuen, hochkarätig besetzten Band, ist, wie er es nennt, »ein Liederbuch der Verlorenen und Gefundenen«. Es entstand während der Lockdowns in »The Shire«, als Plants übliches Umherwandern fast verboten war.
Auf dem englischen Land fand er engen Kontakt zu einer Gruppe von Musikern - der Sängerin Suzi Dian, dem Schlagzeuger Oli Jefferson, dem Gitarristen Tony Kelsey, dem Banjo- und Streicherspieler Matt Worley und dem Cellisten Barney Morse-Brown -, die alle eine gemeinsame Vorliebe für seine stimmungsvollen Lieder hatten. Saving Grace wurde von Plant und der Band produziert und über sechs Jahre hinweg in den Cotswolds und an den walisischen Grenzen aufgenommen. Das Album haucht einem Schatz von Songs von Memphis Minnie, Bob Mosley (Moby Grape), Blind Willie Johnson, The Low Anthem, Martha Scanlan, Sarah Siskind und Low neues Leben ein.
"Despite his visibility and star power, Robert Plant thrives in collaboration. The singer's post-Led Zeppelin career has been marked with a range of eclectic pairings and project bands emphasizing his myriad creative interests. Band of Joy (which actually pre-dates Zeppelin) and his partnership with singer/fiddler Alison Krauss are probably the best known of his solo-era endeavors, a list which also includes the Honeydrippers, the Priory of Brion, and the Sensational Space Shifters. Plant's newest band, Saving Grace, might be his most casual and cooperative yet. After meeting banjoist Matt Worley at his local pub, the two put together a crew of regional folk musicians including singer/accordionist Suzi Dian; Suzi's husband, drummer Oli Jefferson; guitarist Tony Kelsey; and cellist Barney Morse-Brown. Billed as Robert Plant with Suzi Dian, Saving Grace is less of a solo record than it is the sound of a new collective learning its strengths. Like most of Plant's projects, their sound is largely informed by American traditions -- blues, folk, country, gospel -- and steeped in a bit of U.K. Midlands mystique. Similar to Alison Krauss, Dian serves as more of a co-vocalist than a backing musician, sharing most of the lyrics and even taking the lead now and then. Worley too does his share of singing and is the lead vocalist on the slow-burning "Soul of a Man." Some of Saving Grace's most effective moments spring from its blend of voices: the haunting, nearly a cappella "I Never Will Marry" and the Dian-led "Higher Rock" reveal a cohesive unit with dynamic interplay. The overriding tone is pastoral, with occasional spikes in energy and tension to suit the material. Among the traditional fare are unique covers like Moby Grape's "It's a Beautiful Day Today" and the Low Anthem's poignant "Ticket Taker." They step up the intensity on "Everybody's Song," a swirling cover of Low's 2005 track that lands somewhere between classic Fairport Convention and the frenzied desert blues of Tinariwen. For the most part, though, it's a more subtle record with a comfortable, stripped-down feel that adds new shades to Plant's global folk fusion." (AMG 4. sterne)