Sleepwalker

When Louise Post became Veruca Salts lone founding member after the release of 1997s Eight Arms to Hold You, she could have easily gone solo. Instead, she fought to keep the band intact, even though albums like Resolver and IV were as confessional and cathartic as any solo artists outpourings. By the late 2010s, Veruca Salt were thriving once again, with the original lineup back on board and releases like the excellent album Ghost Notes and the Skating Polly collaboration New Trick bridging any gaps between the trailblazers and younger generations of outspoken, female-fronted acts. On her solo debut, Post continues that momentum, even though Sleepwalker feels distinct from her work with her band. As she navigates the tug of war between past and present and untangles the complexities of long-standing relationships, she reveals more colors to her voice and music. Of course, Post is in her element when she cranks up the amps, and Sleepwalkers loudest songs are some of its best. With its tumbling rhythms, snaking guitars, and "demon in a dress," "Queen of the Pirates" begins the album with a potent reminder of her expertise with hard rock flamboyance and fiercely feminine imagery. Likewise, the hard-earned rasp in Posts voice and the roller coaster twists and turns of "Killer" are the handiwork of a seasoned rocker. "Guilty" scratches the itch for sweet-and-sour 90s alt-rock with surging choruses that rival "Seether," but its portrait of a dead-end relationship is far from nostalgic. While its tempting to want Post to rock out for the whole album, the tender side she explores on Sleepwalker offers plenty of nuanced heartache. The piano balladry of "Hollywood Hills" looks back on hedonism with an Icarus-like crash and burn complemented perfectly by distant sirens. Her examinations of how domesticity can be just as fraught as a rock n roll lifestyle are equally strong: "The Way We Live" digs into the nitty gritty of marriage -- lost wedding rings, miscarriages, watching TV -- and "Secrets" details how, despite everything, its a commitment thats too good to give up on. Fittingly for an album that is as much about allowing new experiences as it is accepting times gone by, Sleepwalker incorporates Posts fondness for 2020s pop artists like Billie Eilish into its sound. On the standout "All Messed Up," subtle synths put the focus on the hurt piling up in every line. With songs like this, Post gives equal weight to all kinds of relationships. Thats one of her greatest strengths as a writer; she knows the pain is just as deep, and the boundaries are just as complicated, when facing betrayal by a friend or a lover. Post wrote Sleepwalkers songs during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and given these origins, its not surprising that the album occasionally feels a little insular. Nevertheless, this is some of her most wide-ranging and heartfelt music. Post might make peace with the past on Sleepwalker, but she doesnt reside there. ~ Heather Phares