I saw this next artist live in concert, back when that was a thing.
Disc 1453 is…. On My Own
Artist: Lera Lynn
Year of Release: 2020
What’s up with the Cover? Lera Lynn looks like she is about to head out to a Paris café to discuss existential philosophy. I cannot think of very many things I would rather do than have a coffee with Lera Lynn and exchange ideas about Camus and Sartre. I know from personal experience she is a witty conversationalist from when I met her in Nashville. Unfortunately, I find her so damned good looking that when I met her in person, I stumbled over basic grammar and stared at my shoes. I expect our Parisian coffee date would be a disaster for the same reason, but I’m willing to give it a go and find out.
This copy of the album is hand signed by Lera. When I saw her in Nashville, she signed my copy of her album “The Avenues” in person. This time I paid extra to have her sign the copy I ordered from her. Not nearly as cool, but when it comes to interactions with gorgeous talented singer-songwriters with a possible penchant for chatting about philosophy, you take any interaction you can get.
How I Came To Know It: I have known Lera Lynn dating back to 2015 when she did music for the “True Detective” Season Two soundtrack (reviewed back at Disc 942) but this particular album was just me checking out her latest release. It was not available through Bandcamp or my local record store, so I faced down my e-commerce fears and ordered it direct from Lera herself. It all worked out just fine.
How It Stacks Up: I now have six Lera Lynn albums. Of the six, “On My Own” lands at #3, although it is in an almost dead heat with “Have You Met Lera Lynn?” They are so different it is hard to compare them but the "how it stacks up" section doesn't care for my excuses...
Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4
If you want to record an album where you play virtually all the instruments, then the middle of a pandemic is a good time to make it happen. And thus we are given Lera Lynn’s aptly titled “On My Own”, possibly her loneliest recording experience, but also one of her best.
Those self-imposed limitations help the record considerably. 2016’s “Resistor” is also very pop forward, and at times feels a bit busy as a result, but when you’ve got to learn every part on a song, the tendency is to go with sparse. The effect is to create a stripped-down song that compliments Lera Lynn’s natural talents as a lounge crooner. Her vocals on this record are some of her strongest in years, partly because they are on full display without distraction.
In terms of how she plays all those instruments, I was impressed with the sheer ability to play that many things proficiently. Lynn is already solid on the guitar, and outside her vocals, those bits are the best. She plays bass on all but two songs and it was fine, for as much as I noticed it. The drums are nothing amazing, but hey, she can keep time, and that’s the most important thing. She also wisely lets the percussion provide a funky backdrop, rather than trying to go all Neil Peart on her audience. The choices she makes with the rhythm section are restrained and well chosen.
This is notable on “Dark Horse.” It isn’t a complicated beat, but it is sultry and sets the right tone for the tune. When the guitar comes in, it adds a bit of that old alt country grit. By the end of the song there are backing vocals and even hand claps (all presumably Lynn as well). Despite all these additions the song never feels busy. Lynn has gotten lots of kudos for playing everything, but she deserves even more credit for the great arrangements on the record.
The album opens (wisely) with the up tempo “Are You Listening?” which is as close to anything on the record comes to radio friendly. It has a kind of Annie Lennox solo vibe, and I mean that in a good way. Lynn has a natural groove to her singing and like Lennox can sit down in the pocket without losing any of that sexy smokey barroom vibe.
“Isolation” is also a great track, clearly inspired by pandemic lock downs we’ve all experienced to one degree or another since last March. For all that, my favourite tune on the record is the thoroughly depressing “Make You OK.” Here Lynn channels her own mental distress into a better understanding of a tortured character that she can’t fix, despite a desperate desire to do so. The song could be Lynn’s greatest vocal performance ever, which his saying something.
Lynn’s been sidling up to this indie pop sound for a few years now, but with “On My Own” she has finally nailed it. If the pandemic helped provide inspiration musically and lyrically for her to get to this place, then at least there’s one thing we can be thankful for in these troubled times.
Best tracks: Are You Listening?, What I’m Looking For, Dark Horse, Make You OK, Isolation
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