Lydia Loveless - All I Know
[O]hio-native* Lydia Loveless often gets tagged as alt-country, but most of the fare on her latest EP would’ve passed as mainstream alternative rock in the ’90s. And I can understand if you took that as a dig, but I mean it in the best way possible. Imagine if you could listen to the Gin Blossoms without any of those guilty feelings. Imagine if you could crank ’em up until the neighbors heard without worrying about your rep, because it was actually cool as shit. Well… that’s what Lydia Loveless is for.
It’s peculiar that a 23-year old babe like Lydia would put out an ep of twangy Tempe-rock, given that she was not quite 2 years old when New Miserable Experience hit store shelves, & even more peculiar that it would be met with such critical acclaim**, though I’m sure the Elvis Costello cover*** that backed her first Bloodshot Records single didn’t damage her street cred. Well maybe the critical acclaim isn’t that peculiar… Boy Crazy is an infectious, shameless document of youth & raging hormones & sordid, stop-the-world love affairs. Confessions seem to tumble out of her mouth & it sounds so bad but it feels so good. Consider any praise well earned.
Elsewhere on the record is a song about Jeffrey Dahmer (Lover’s Spat), & she has a sister named Jessica Wabbit. Plus her forthcoming album**** includes a track about oral sex & it “kinda sounds like something bleeding” but only a little “in the period kind of way.” I think I have a new favorite artist.
Buy the Boy Crazy EP direct here.
* Trying not to hold this against her. #goblue
** I always loved you, Gin Blossoms.
*** Allison.
**** Somewhere Else, out February 18th on Bloodshot Records.
