Late Great＜Clear With Red, Black & Beige Splatter Vinyl＞

Long one of the more underappreciated singer/songwriters on the indie scene, Laura Stevensons seventh solo album, Late Great, should lift her stature yet again for those in the know. It was written in the wake of a string of major life events, among them first-time motherhood, a painful breakup, new love, and a career transition involving going back to school (for a masters degree in music therapy) -- and thats not to mention the global turmoil of the period since she recorded her previous album in late 2019. Some of her long-time advocates returned to work with her on this new material, namely legendary alt-rock producer John Agnello and indie punk long-hauler Jeff Rosenstock, who not only did arrangements and played several instruments on Late Great but released it on his own Really Records imprint. (Real Estates Sammi Niss, the Pains of Being Pure at Hearts Kelly Pratt, and indie rocker Chris Farren were among other contributors.) With names like that involved, the uninitiated may not be prepared for Stevensons disarmingly sweet voice or the lyrical nature of her songwriting, which combines warm, wistful melodies, vulnerability, and profound turns of phrase over a variety of stylistic influences. The rousing, retro-rock-tinged "#1" starts things off with keen axioms like "Its the thrill you leave behind you/Its the condensation on the glass." While maintaining a touch of retro flair, that song is followed by the bouncier, driving indie rock of all-timer "I Want to Remember It All," in which she welcomes "even the tallest hurts," "to be hated to my face," and "to think without restraint," among other experiences that make for a full life. The dustier road folk-rock of "Honey" is next, with its ruminations on never being loved back "in equal parts," and were already accumulatively devastated a quarter of the way through the track list. Late Great goes on to touch on spare country-folk ("Not Us"), lush folk-rock ("Instant Comfort"), piano balladry ("Middle Love"), orchestrated indie rock ("Late Great"), and more while lamenting relentless grief, feeling comfort in detachment ("Like watching fireworks on TV/Thats how it was for me"), and loving being alive. When the album closes on a raw, acoustic version of "#1," Stevenson sounds resigned rather than defiant while delivering some of the same lyrics but this time ending with a bedtime prayer. ~ Marcy Donelson