Sweet Pea
MOXE, 2023
8/10
The 23 year old songwriter Lila Blues seems wiser than their years, where some weighty topics are discussed via these folk-influenced tunes that welcome a handful of friends.
The title track opens with Blue’s howling vocals alongside Ashely Frith’s skilled violin playing and Damon Daunno’s agile drumming that embraces a feral spirit, and “Changeling” follows with playful vocal acrobatics and vivid storytelling that uses both minimal and rich ideas.
The middle tracks, “I Met The Devil” and “Keep Your Mind On Me”, are among the best, where the former employs Saskia Lane’s animated bass plucking amid much atmosphere, while the latter is quite pretty, poetic and benefits from Blue’s diverse pipes.
Near the end, the group vocals of “Lovely Day” help make for a harmonic and ambient climate, and “Take Me Down” exits with gorgeous singing that helps cultivate a timeless folk appeal.
A very raw listen that might remind you of Fiona Apple, Ani DiFranco or Lucy Dacus, Blue is also surrounded by Gabriel Ebert’s ukelele, piano and percussion, plus Jordan Hamlin’s organ, synth bass and drums for this uniquely crafted version of modern indie-folk.
Travels well with: Taylor Ashton- Stranger To The Feeling; J.E. Sunde- Alice, Gloria And Jon