Halfsies
Thirty Tigers, 2024
9/10
An Americana artist but not of the typical sense, the Queer and Black artist Lizzie No welcomes blues, folk, country and indie-rock ideas into these 11 ‘protest’ songs.
The cozy title track starts the listen with No’s expressive voice alongside Fred Eltringham’s crisp drums and plenty of strings that emit elegance, and “Sleeping In The Next Room” follows with soaring vocal harmonies and Graham Richman’s precise bass amid No’s dreamy harp.
Deeper into the listen, the radiant “Deadbeat” benefits much from Richman’s swirling guitar that suits the intimate backdrop, while “Mourning Dove Waltz” places Allison Russell’s soulful voice and Graham’s mature piano for the heartfelt delivery.
The final 2 tracks, “Getaway Car” and “Babylon”, don’t disappoint either, where the former is populated by pedal steel and baritone guitar thanks to Josh Grange, which helps cultivate an animated roots rocker, and the latter showcases Daniel Kleederman’s acoustic guitar and ambient manipulation that also makes splendid use of violin, viola and cello.
Comparisons to Rhiannon Giddens and Allison Russell won’t go unappreciated here, as No continues to carve out a very distinct and community related presence in the personal and political landscape of this excellent record.
Travels well with: Lindsay Lou- Queen Of Time; Boy Named Banjo- Dusk