On top of giving voice to tracks inspired by personal tribulations, ordeals endured by loved ones, the divisive state of the world, and uncertainty in general, singer/songwriter
Laura Stevenson was pregnant with her first child when she recorded her sixth album. Titling the personal set
Laura Stevenson, it was recorded in Marlboro, New York with producer
John Agnello and features guitar work by friend and frequent collaborator
Jeff Rosenstock. The track list opens with the volatile "State," which alternates simmering, quieter verses ("I stay polite…") with explosive rock choruses ("It keeps me alive/It's easier, right?"), though the verses' accompaniment previews the noise. While not indicative of a ruminative album with several intimate, acoustic entries, that song's indie rock properties are revisited on songs like the more composed "Don't Think About Me" and the bouncy, infectious "Sandstorm," a restless song that dares a partner to go ahead and break her heart ("and let the sandstorm cover me"). The tenderer "Mary" opts for elegant piano balladry, while "Wretch" offers a dreamy folk-rock with layered vocals that reflect on the passage (and damage) of time. The stylistically variable
Laura Stevenson LP leaves listeners with "Children's National Transfer," a spare fingerstyle ballad that sees our narrator stepping out of the turmoil to pick up cigarettes and a cold drink ("Another boring customer/Frivolously lingering at the soda fridge/Fingering through the rows of chips"). It's a poignant reset to close a burdened but nonetheless tuneful set. As "Sky Blue, Bad News" speculates, "Maybe I'll be better in a year." ~ Marcy Donelson