Goodnight, Lover.
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
It’s been a tough few years for the songstress Sweetlove, who lost 3 people close to her within a year of each other, and she’s channeled those tragedies into songs about loss and all of the coping that comes with it.
“Devil On Your Shoulder” opens the listen with much warmth as a playful version of Americana unfolds with pretty vocals alongside spirited keys, punchy drumming and plenty of melody and grooves, and the title track follows with a calmer spirit, where expressive singing and breezy musicianship touch on blues and soulful ideas.
The middle track include the sublime balladry of the bare, dreamy “The House”, while “Did You Even Know” flows with a poetic roots rock quality amid a healthy amount of rhythm and heartfelt wordplay.
Rounding out the listen are “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” and “Things I Didn’t Say”, where the former displays intricate acoustic guitar alongside a cozy duet that benefits from pedal steel, and the latter emits much beauty as gorgeous piano work complements the versatile singing from Sweetlove.
Not surprisingly, this is an emotional effort, and one that comes with help from Justin Glasco (guitar, keys, bass, production, percussion), Jon Sosin (guitar), Adam Tressler (guitar), Brian Griffin (drums, percussion), Scott Murray (steel guitar), and Caroline Brooks and Zach Berkman on backing vocals. Together, they deliver a stirring, even therapeutic blend of pop and Americana as Sweetlove continues to carve out a very sincere and eloquent place to reside in the area of modern Americana.