If Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, and Lori McKenna had a songwriting circle, Laura Sawosko would match proper in. Her newest album, Not What I Do (dropping April 18), is a fantastically crafted mixture of heartache, humor, and hard-won knowledge, proving as soon as once more that she’s one in every of Nashville’s most underrated singer-songwriters. With 12 unique tracks, the album takes you on a journey by means of love, loss, id, and private development, all wrapped in a heat Americana sound that feels timeless but completely recent.
WEBSITE: https://www.laurasawosko.com/
Sawosko isn’t new to the sport. She’s performed Nashville’s most iconic venues, opened for main artists, and even braved the fact TV present Worry Issue again within the day (sure, actually!) However what units her aside is her capacity to show the on a regular basis into one thing poetic. On “Biscuits and Gravy,” she transforms a Southern breakfast staple right into a love letter to nostalgia. “Extra Than Only a Burger” does the identical, proving {that a} music about quick meals can by some means make you cry.
After which there’s “Take My Hand,” an emotional intestine punch that appears like one thing off one of the best of any modern singer-songwriter’s album. With a quiet power, Sawosko sings about survival and solidarity, weaving in themes of vulnerability and resiliency with out ever feeling preachy. It’s uncooked, actual, and some of the highly effective moments on the album.
The title observe, “Not What I Do,” is the emotional core of the document. It’s an intimate, stripped-down meditation on id and the battle to interrupt free from expectations. Consider it as a cross between Maggie Rogers’ soul-searching ballads and the brutal honesty of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season.”
Sawosko’s voice has a uncooked, unpolished high quality that makes every little thing really feel deeply private—like she’s singing these songs in your lounge, only for you. And whereas the album leans closely into folks and nation influences, there are moments that really feel nearly indie-pop. “School Days,” for instance, has the identical nostalgic power as Olivia Rodrigo’s “Teenage Dream,” however with the maturity of somebody wanting again somewhat than nonetheless dwelling it.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/laura-sawosko/4420275
Lyrically, Not What I Do is stuffed with these one-liners that hit you out of nowhere. The type you wish to scribble in a journal or textual content to your greatest pal at 2 a.m. The ultimate observe, “Not Your Cause,” leaves us on a be aware of quiet empowerment—a reminder that generally essentially the most highly effective factor you are able to do is stroll away.
Total, Not What I Do is an album that calls for to be felt. It’s excellent for lengthy street journeys, wet afternoons, or these late-night existential crises whenever you simply want a music that understands. Laura Sawosko won’t have mainstream radio play (but), however this album proves she’s making among the most compelling music within the singer-songwriter house proper now. If you happen to love artists like Brandi Carlile, The Chicks, and even the storytelling of early Ed Sheeran, Not What I Do must be in your playlist.
Mindy McCall
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