Illinois singer Lissie’s third album My Wild West has a west-coast pop sheen to it, but touches of acoustic guitar and banjo suggest a country feel. This contrast mirrors the album’s theme: Lissie’s retreat to a rural life in Ojai, California, after becoming disillusioned with Los Angeles ( “You broke my heart just like I knew you would,” sings Lissie on Hollywood). Producers Curt Schneider and Bill Reynolds from Band of Horses have allowed a space and subtlety that add integrity to Lissie’s lyrics. Daughters is a simply-put but heartfelt assertion of female solidarity. And there’s real existential pain on songs such as Go for a Walk (“I want to feel my life”) and Stay, which finds her overwhelmed by insecurities (“Everyone just fades away”). Lissie’s voice in its lower register sounds husky and vulnerable – but when she lets rip on huge choruses, such as those of Hero and Wild West, it’s quite a fearsome instrument.
