Lydia Loveless
Somewhere Else
Bloodshot Records
Street: 02.18
Lydia Loveless = Frank Turner + Neko Case + Emmylou Harris + Miss Derringer
I first pegged Lydia Loveless as some sort of simple female equivalent to Hank 3, but as I listened further, I realized she is much more than that. Yes, her last release, Indestructible Machine, had somewhat honky-tonk leanings that I enjoyed, but it was still unfair to pigeonhole this versatile songstress into any category, country or otherwise. Somewhere Else strips away any preconceived notions with songs that are unflinchingly direct and honest. Even though the track “Chris Isaak” is definitely a country song, it still feels several miles away from what she’s done in the past. The song “Really Want to See You Again” carries the anxiety everyone has felt about the possibility of rejection and escaping the ensuing isolation. On this record, Loveless bares herself sincerely by tearing the holes of her own heartbreak and loneliness open a little wider just to give us a peek, so we might recognize and feel it, too. –James Orme