a music blog about women in Americana & beyond
Opening her new album with the stark and almost eerie refrain of ‘I’m gonna run’ you might think this is going to be an album of darkness, especially after Ashley Monroe’s recent experience of cancer.
However from that opening song on ‘Tennessee Lighting’ we hear a different story – she’s looking not to share her suffering but to escape from the pain and search for love.
Continue reading “Album Review: Ashley Monroe – Tennessee Lightning “
After suffering personal tragedies Natalie Bergman recorded her debut gospel album ‘Mercy’, an exploration of how a spiritual awakening helped with her grief. On her impressive second album ‘My Home is Not in This World’, she focuses on another personal journey – this time through turbulent romantic relationships towards her finding love and becoming a mother.
Continue reading “Album Review: Natalie Bergman – My Home is Not in This World “
Recently I stumbled across this album ‘Just a Stranger’ released earlier this year by Henri Cash from Starcrawler and Sophia Skye de Reeder, daughter of Pierre from Rilo Kiley (who also co-produced the record with Henri). The picture on the cover makes them look like the children of Jack White and Jenny Lewis and their sound isn’t far from that ideal mix either. The duo are fresh from supporting Rilo Kiley on some of their comeback shows.
Continue reading “Album Review: Cash & Skye – Just a Stranger”
After releasing a fantastic EP called ‘Country Curious’ last year, Lola Kirke followed that up with a book of personal essays called ‘Wild West Village’ which explored her upbringing and life in a bohemian family. By moving to Nashville and leaning towards country music she’s been walking a different path than might be expected from your typical artsy New Yorker.
Continue reading “Album Review: Lola Kirke – Trailblazer”
I’m always looking for great new soul albums and was delighted to find this recent release from Scotland’s Brooke Combe. Recorded mainly live and produced by James Skelly of the Coral, there’s something quite special about ‘Dancing at the Edge of the World.’
Continue reading “Album Review: Brooke Combe – Dancing at the Edge of the World”
The word melancholy originated as a way to describe a state of deep sadness and introspection, where despair lives for no particular reason at all – such a place where poets and artists have long enjoyed living. Singer Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, found the title of her new album ‘For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) in a short story by John Cheever, and thought the tongue in cheek humour of the idea was appealing. After all most female indie singers and their fans are stereotyped this way, so why not have a little fun with it?
Continue reading “Album Review: Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)”
Five years after her last album Nadia Reid is in a different place now, literally. She moved to the UK from her native New Zealand and became a mother. Enter Now Brightness reflects the changes in her life, bringing a fresh and lighter feel to her music.
Continue reading “Album Review: Nadia Reid – Enter Now Brightness”
After the glorious achievement of producing two epic modern classics in ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Like We Used To’ Sharon Van Etten’s last album was more understated, hazy and, for me, a little bit of a let down overall. After regrouping Sharon decided to try something new for this project – working collaboratively with her band on the songwriting and vision for the first time. The results are still resolutely a Sharon Van Etten album but there’s something more edgy and dramatic to the style and the sound.
Continue reading “Album Review: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory “
Lilly Hiatt’s last two albums were released during the pandemic and like many other artists at the time, she felt the negative effect of not being able to tour or promote her music in the way she wanted to.
During her last few years off the road she’s got married, adopted a dog, bought a house and installed a home studio where she began songwriting in a different, more immediate way. The results on this new album ‘Forever’ sound like someone shedding old skin, finding her way back to a more natural, looser kind of musical identity.
Continue reading “Album Review: Lilly Hiatt – Forever”
Highway Queens 