This Too Shall Light,
Amy Helm's sophomore solo album, is a logical progression from 2015's excellent
Didn't It Rain (recorded after three dynamite albums with
Olabelle), but it's also a marked departure. For starters, she stepped away from her home base in Woodstock to work with producer
Joe Henry in Los Angeles at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, where the
Beach Boys records
Pet Sounds and the
Mamas and the Papas tracked the immortal "California Dreamin." Second, in order to "meet" these ten tunes directly, she refrained from rehearsing or playing them live beforehand.
Henry played her
Delaney & Bonnie's cult classic
Motel Shot, recorded to resemble its many players hanging out and singing in a rundown roadside motel room. This date was cut in four days and the end result captures that spontaneous feel but takes it to another level sonically and emotionally. The material is uniformly strong; it makes use of many of
Helm's gifts as a singer ranging between country, rock, folk, soul, gospel, and even jazz. Gospel, however, is prevalent, thanks to
Helm's desire to hear a gospel chorus (from three talented backing vocalists) behind her on every song).