Richmond’s newest breakout star has been making headlines long before the release of her debut album this week, and we finally have a review of the final product, and it is breathtaking.
The first single from Lucy Dacus‘s No Burden, titled “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore,” has been circulating on the internet for some time. While I’m all for supporting local music, I had concerns about the production quality. The mix seemed a bit off, creating a disconnect between the performer’s powerful deep vocals and the equally addictive hook beneath.
However, all doubts were put to rest with the release of No Burden. It is undoubtedly one of the best records to come out of RVA in years. With easy comparisons to the vocals of early Cat Power and the melodic guitar work of ’90s powerhouses like Pavement, there’s a lot to love and get lost in on this record.
Several tracks stand out, especially considering that most of her online audio (except the single) prior to this release was acoustic ballads. The album starts strong with “I Don’t Want to Be Funny Anymore,” a track that would wear thin on my record player if such a physical copy existed.
The second track, “Troublemaker Doppelgänger,” is similarly strong and offers upbeat, solid riffs alongside an optimistic message of “open doors.” Dacus obviously had riffage in mind as her guitar tone is strong and demands your attention between her belted lyrics.
Other upbeat tracks, “Green Eyes, Red Face,” and “Strange Torpedo,” similarly offer slow builds that swell under her deep, warm vocals. These tracks manage to be moving yet also dancey and fun, proving that she can move your feet, not just your soul.
“Dream State” provides outstanding vocal harmonies in a love song with just enough distorted noise to remind me of my favorite Wilco tracks.
“Trust” returns us to the familiar melodramatic acoustic tracks that populated her Bandcamp for so long. Once again, she shows that she’s a soulful songstress at heart with the pipes and chords to melt anyone’s heart.
We look forward to the full release of the LP this Friday on Egg Hunt Records, but you can preorder here.
For more background on Dacus, check out our full profile of the artist from our print piece, RVAMag #23, here.
Check out the full album stream below via Noisey:
