Phil Madeira
Bliss
(Mercyland Records)

The album’s title says it all—Bliss captures its creator in a joyful mood, celebrating the new love that has brought happiness and contentment to his modern moment. Inspired by songwriting heroes like The Beatles, Randy Newman, Nina Simone, and Dr. John, Bliss encompasses the full range of Madeira’s influences, from piano-driven jazz to southern soul to swampy blues. In other words, it’s an Americana album by a songwriter who helped pioneer the genre, not only as a prolific solo artist, but also via his work as Emmylou Harris‘ longtime collaborator and bandmember.

Madeira is no stranger to a finely-crafted love song. Two years earlier, he released Open Heart on Valentine’s Day 2020, filling that record with songs that explored the full arc of a relationship. While Open Heart captured everything from the rush of new love to the sobering reality of a breakup, though, Bliss places its focus on the positivity generated by a happy, healthy relationship. The album marks the completion of a trilogy that also includes Open Heart and Hornet’s Nest, with the three albums chronicling a journey that includes heartbreaking loss, grief, rebirth, and the celebration of new love.

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