Rising in popularity over the years since early beginnings with Carson Drew, Lydia Loveless dropped her fifth solo album, entitled Real, via Bloodshot Records on August 19, 2016. Passionate for music since her early teenage years, Loveless comes out of Columbus, Ohio with a sound falling somewhere between Alternative Country, Pop, and Punk. With such an experimental and wide range of sound, her fans are spread throughout the world, and in less than a month since its release, Real has already gained favored reviews. Always aiming to be prolific, somewhat dark, and uplifting, Lydia Loveless introduces an album somewhere between it all.
Complemented by her band including Bassist Ben Lamb (her husband), Guitarist/Vocalist Tom May, and Drummer Nick German, the first song off the album, “Same to You,” introduces listeners to Lydia’s trademark Alternative Country style. Heavy with meaning and melodic vocals, the song is a gentle welcome into an emotionally unique and impactful album. This leads into “Longer,” which is laden with southern twang vocals and Country guitar. A breakup recovery song, it is casual enough to bob your head with, but deep enough to resonate with anyone experiencing the follies of heartbreak.
Another heavily Country song, “More Than Ever” is emotional and typical Pop Country, easy listening to be a radio hit. With strong instrumentation that properly expresses heartbreak, conflict, and renewal, the melancholy vibe is powerful and deep. With a more upbeat pacing, “Heaven” opens with the lyrics “Well, here comes the beer on a cloud, something to say to the crowd, Well, we built a wall in between us, lock it up,” setting an almost comical tone to an otherwise profound message, “Cause no one goes to Heaven.” A track that seems to warn against taking it all too seriously, the pacing and gentle instrumentation create a very full sound with an interesting twist.
Backpedaling to a slow pace, “Out on Love” slides its way on the playlist and into the listener’s speakers. Almost slow dance at prom material, the beautiful song is tempered with a deeply sad message, wrought with emotion. The words “If I could write to you All I would say, is that I miss you more everyday, I try but I cannot be carried away I guess I missed out on love” are what stop this song from being the last dance of the night for couples, despite the romantic instrumentation. Taking a break from the intensity, “Midwestern Guys” returns the more easygoing sound to the album, a narrative that comes across as musings straight from a journal page.
Later on, “Bilbao” opens with gentle guitar strumming followed by Loveless’s soothing vocals. Following suit with the romantic/heartbreak theme of the album, this cut focuses on the romantic aspect. The chorus line “Marry me, there’s nowhere in the world that I’d rather be” is sung slowly and accompanied by calming guitar and bass-lines, the drums aiding with mountainous build to the climax of the song. Then, “European” is once again a balance of casual pacing, Loveless’s strong vocals, and a pleading narrative. Caught somewhere between upbeat and serious, the song is complementary to Lydia Loveless and their eclectic style.
Continuing along nicely, “Clumps” features acoustic guitar and the quick turnover of love at first site into an existential statement on life and death as well as its comparison to love and endings. This leads to the conclusion of the record with title-track “Real,” which has a sound reminiscent of Pop Country from the late 1990s to early 2000s, making it a bit nostalgic. Another narrative heavy song; the song has a dreamy quality that is complemented by Loveless’s own accented vocals and the bands relaxed playing. Simply put, it is a great way to end off an emotionally intensive journey.
Overall, the band seemed more focused on the Pop/Country aspect of their sound, endeavoring to make Real a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions for the listeners. Despite some of the more existential, shadowy depths, the album is well balanced between dark and light, maintaining a record that can draw in many kinds of fans of Country. Once again, Lydia Loveless seems to teeter a line that is necessary in her genres, though some of the songs were a bit slow. That being said, CrypticRock gives Real 4 out of 5 stars.
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