The Hard Stuff
For The Records, 2019
9/10
On Susan Gibson’s 7th solo outing and first LP since 2011, the veteran and award winning songstress penned the tunes while dealing with the grief of losing both parents in a short period.
A lyrically heavy listen, Gibson wastes no time drawing us into her authentic Americana formula on the raw yet pretty “Imaginary Lines”, and “Antiques” follows with jangly acoustic strumming on the bouncy, folk-influenced gem.
Elsewhere, the thumping “Lookin’ For A Fight” brings us some rugged country inspired rock, while “The Big Game” trims the volume back to reflective yet playful soft rock as Gibson’s elegant, raspy vocals shine.
Deeper into the listen “Hurricane”, one of the album’s best, recruits breezy melodies, background vocals and keys on the memorable introspection, and “8 x 10” ends the listen with rural banjo picking and strings on the extremely heartfelt exit.
While most of us aren’t familiar with Gibson’s name, her work has already reached mainstream success, as she wrote “Wide Open Spaces”, a massive hit for The Dixie Chicks in the late ‘90s. The Hard Stuff, however, is a more substantial peek into the rich, textured and poetic prowess of Gibson, and truly reveals her boundless, stirring art.
Travels well with: Lucinda Williams- Sweet Old World; Gretchen Peters- Dancing With The Beast