A new release from Lydia Shae delivers a very robust and special breed of honesty that comes through in the form of these almost cinematic and rock-oriented songs that also touch on everything from Americana, folk, and even hits rustic, but what really grabs at you is the persona that it's all delivered with because that's what you end up getting attached to.
The release is called Decade Diaries and this is an album that is almost like an opus where each song has pieces of herself that she gives away to the listener so that they can soak it in how they will and the beauty of that is the simple fact that, although the songs at times feel like they were even possibly cathartic for Lydia to write and release, for the listener some of these can be incredibly relatable.
These songs at times, are super descriptive to the point where you can really feel where those thought processes started and why the songs were created in the first place, or other times in your head but all the while it never loses that character that it starts with in the first place and again, this may be the most important part of the entire release.
These tracks certainly do serve as chapters in the artist's life, and this is only part of the reason you should be listening to the entire album.
You will get the full picture if you do listen to the whole thing but also, there are so many different songwriting approaches throughout the record that if you listen to only one or two tracks, you're getting nowhere near the full spectrum of what the album has to offer.
The way these tracks are written lets them feel alive and breathing as certain tracks have a way of building an intensity and others give these sorts of swells and sways so this is where that whole cinematic backbone comes in.
A lot of these are emotionally driven, incredibly honest, and show a certain level of bravery on Lydia's part but I think that all comes with creating genuine art.
You get some great southern tonality throughout this record as well and again, Americana and this kind of southern rock that hits here and there all show face throughout the release.
Lydia's vocal performance throughout the entire record is outstanding and she delivers softness when it's needed and a harshness when it's needed as well.
At times the vocals can be very robust and vivacious and at others they can be more subtle but no matter what you're getting the real deal and that's what's important.
There's a great pop overtone through a lot of these songs even if it hits edgier sections or soundscapes at times, and there are a lot of addicting hooks and memorable melodies that bounce around in your brain for hours after the songs have ended and the only way to satiate that is to listen to them again which I loved.
This record was woven with heart, and performed with a charisma that you don't find super often so when you come across it it's not only refreshing but, in a way, it's rejuvenating.
I also love how some songs are completely acoustic while other ones hit heavier tones because those tracks are sort of mixed in throughout the record so that it has a certain pace to it.
There was definitely a lot of thought and attention to detail that went into the creation of this release, but it never loses that persona, and it never loses that heart and soul that it began with.
A beautifully honest and straightforward record with wonderfully experimental approaches and an eclectic feel, check out Decade Diaries when you can, and again, listen to this whole record.
You have the time and it's more than worth that.
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