Nobody’s Girl
Lucky Hound, 2021
8/10
An Austin trio that includes BettySoo, Rebecca Loebe and Grace Pettis, this debut album has all the ladies singing across folk and Americana sounds, where their backgrounds in classical training and Berklee educations come in handy as they cultivate a healthy pop dynamic into their song craft.
“Kansas” starts the listen with flowing vocal harmonies and a lush, pop friendly climate of rugged yet pretty songwriting that tips it hat to The Wizard Of Oz, and “Rescued” follows with warm acoustic guitar, well timed keys and Americana nods amid soaring vocals and a chorus you won’t soon forget.
Deeper into the listen, “Promised Land” brings pedal steel into the cautious and breezy setting, while “What’ll I Do” recruits a punchy spirit that would be right at home in today’s country-pop. “Waterline”, one of the album’s best, then blends all the 3 voices into a sublime, dreamy display of timeless, playful musicianship.
Further still, “The Morning After” enters darker areas, as gorgeous textures highlight the diverse delivery, and “Lark” exits the listen with a bare folk song that’s poetic, stirring and surrounds love and loss in a lullaby sort of way.
Michael Ramos produced the record, and brought in some of Austin’s finest including Glenn Fukunaga (bass), J.J. Johnson (drums), Conrad Choucroun (drums), David Grissom (guitar), Charlie Sexton (guitar) and Doug Pettibone (pedal steel) to name a few, as the women bring much songwriting talent and incredible vocal skills to an exciting chapter of their careers.
Travels well with: Maia Sharp- Mercy Rising; James Digirolamo- Paper Boats