Lydia Loveless | Somewhere ElseEmpty Bottle Evenings

Mar282015March 28, 2015March 28, 2015No Commentby Bake

Lydia Loveless | Somewhere Else

Posted in Music

Last night I went to a show where a hardcore band opened. A few minutes into their set I started to ask myself a few questions? Am I too old for this? Was Hardcore always this terrible? Have I just been limiting my musical tastes to a few select genres lately? I’m guessing there is a good amount of truth to the first and second questions, but for now I’m tackling the third. Here at Empty Bottle Evenings I’ve been covering a lot of alt-country, Americana, and the like lately and I’m going to take a break. Not for long, probably a month. Maybe more; It depends on what I come across. But I don’t want to limit my listening habits to the same thing over and over again. I’ve always believed that great music can be found in any genre and the only way to be sure is if to stay open to all of them. Even if it’s shitty, juvenile, slam dancing hardcore. Having said all of that…here comes one last alt-country recommendation.

I didn’t want to take this country sabbatical before writing something about Lydia Loveless’s 3^rd studio album, Somewhere Else. This album is really…country? Not like blind patriotism, red solo cupping, tractor-banging country, but yeah, this leans toward the traditional over the alternative wing more often than not throughout the album. I’m partly convinced that this is only because of the way Loveless sings; this isn’t a criticism, she has a really strong voice. But something about a woman singing country can often sound more dramatically country. Is that sexist? Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that if someone like Ben Nichols was singing these songs it would sound a lot more like a rock album. Of course if Nichols was singing these songs they would be a little strange (and a lot worse) due to its feminist tilt. If I can’t appreciate a woman singing about things important to her then I’m just as bad every ignorant dick that I claim to hate. Not to mention (here comes the mention), I’ve been looking for great, accessible alt-country album with female vocals for years. Somewhere Else is the album that I’ve been waiting for Jenny Lewis and Neko Case to make since I started listening to them. Appreciate it. Dick.

And I do. Once I get past hating myself for liking country music I really like the whole album. “To Love Somebody” is a great song that sort of reminds me of Whiskeytown which is always a good sign. “Head” (shown above) covers break ups, depression, loneliness, drinking, and of course, oral sex. While the mid-song guitar solo is one of the least impressive I’ve heard in some time, the kind that works as a filler with the guitarist hopefully figuring out something more impressive by the time they play it live, it is somewhat saved by the guitar outro. “Verlain Shot Rimbaud” is straight out of Case’s playbook, but doesn’t sound like a cheap knock off in the least. Loveless actually does record a cover for this album, Kirsty MacColl’s late seventies pop song “They Don’t Know”, which I instantly recognized but couldn’t place how I knew it. I looked it up and was like “Oh, this was the theme song to Tracey Ullman’s show”. Then I thought for a few seconds and asked myself “Wait, a minute, how the fuck do I know Tracy Ullman?” Needless to say I spent hours looking up Ullman and I still have no answers.

My advice to you is save the Tracey Ullman rabbit hole for another day. For now, check out Somewhere Else. Loveless is extremely talented and should hold everyone over until the next worthy alt-country pick is selected. In between them check out some recommendations from some other genres. I don’t know exactly what yet, maybe all the variations of indie? I could dabble in Jazz? Take drugs and finally enjoy EDM? Maybe I’ll write 1500 words on the Onedirection’s last album with whatever the fuck’s name that just left and made all those girls cry. I have no idea. It won’t be hardcore though. That shit is terrible.