A heart of gold and a restless soul
Singer songwriter Lucy Dacus makes her debut with the album, No Burden, coming out February 26th. As an Indie folk rock artist from Richmond, Virginia, she writes very open, plainspoken lyrics about identity — namely, finding yourself and taking control of your life. On her creative style, she describes how she would suddenly come up with melodies and words over the course of a day, then quickly rush home to write them all down. Dacus hopes to make her songs relatable to her audience, just as she finds them relatable to characters in her own life.
Throughout the album looms the theme of catharsis and a desire to be authentic. In her first single, “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore,” Dacus expresses frustration with seeing herself through the perspective of others who don’t understand. This track is more alternative rock-sounding, with heavier guitars and angsty lyrics, such as “Lately, I’ve been feeling like the odd one out.” Meanwhile, “Troublemaker Doppleganger” contains more bluesy guitar and starts with a catchy drumbeat. Dacus emphasizes a focus on finding individuality through lyrics like “Daddy told you to stay indoors / And I can understand how a girl gets bored.” She further conveys the notion of breaking free by singing, “I wanna live in a world where I can keep my hind doors wide open” and finishes with a powerful, emotional ending. Other tracks like “Green Eyes, Red Face” are more about sweet, innocent romance. This song is very slow, soft, and features beautifully weaved poetry. “I see the sea next to yours is unoccupied / and I was wondering if you’d let me sit by your side.” She paints a vivid picture of a shy, young girl’s crush with “What am I supposed to say / With your green eyes on my red face.” Further, the second single “Strange Torpedo” is more upbeat, yet dreamy, with an Indie-pop guitar sound. This soothing track is strangely dark in lyrical content. It addresses an attempt to help out a friend who’s going down the wrong path, referring to him as “a strange torpedo on the loose.”
Overall, it seems that Lucy Dacus is starting out as very promising in her music career. Strong, meaningful lyrics coupled with bluesy, alto vocals add depth to each song.
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