American singer-songwriter received worldwide recognition with her appearance in the TV show True Detective and contribution to its soundtrack. Although she released her first album Have You Met Lera Lynn in 2011, people were not familiar with her work until the above mentioned soundtrack. In 2014, she released her second album The Avenues, while her third album is titled Resistor.
What made me fall in love with Lera even more is the fact that all of her albums are self-released. She noted that she doesn’t want to make any compromises with record labels. Her creativity and her independency are more valuable to her than commercial success.
Lera Lynn belongs to the world of folk and Americana music. Her style is at the crossroad between these two genres. Treasure of her voice only makes her music more steady in its captivating potential. Her vocal is a typical Americana vocal, but it can also get rough when necessary. Then it’s all about the soul. Anthropology studies have her a broader perspective and wide range of topics that she likes to express in her songs. Those are never laconic ballades with prosaic lyrics. Lera displays her maturity by the usage of puns, metaphors and figurative speeches.
Albeit most of the songs are about love, Lera approaches love with a certain amount of irony and she knows how to distance herself from the theme she covers. This is why we got her most mature album yet. To put it in her words – this is a metaphorical amalgam.
Resistor has a simple concept, but it manages to diffuse into bemusing pieces that are never chaotic. Bewilderment is seductive here. Lera sings about men, women, relationships, the experience of loneliness, etc. with humbleness. Opening track Shape Shifter is probably my favorite song from the album. The other zany piece is Drive. It is an atypical song for Lera Lynn. Here is where she showcases her vocal abilities. I also think these two songs represent her artistry in the best possible way. Fade Into Black is a poignant, melancholic number with hermetic lyrics. Little Ruby closes the album in a slow manner.
Lera Lynn is an aberrant author who nurtures Americana style. Resistor not only proves her talent, but it also raises the bar for her following releases. I will keep an eye on you, Lera.
