A captivating collection of stories
Lucy Dacus, indie singer-songwriter, recently released her third album, Home Video. The album has 11 honest, storytelling tracks. She explores topics from relationships and innocence to religion. Each story is told in a creative and sophisticated manner that demands the listener’s attention.
The first track of the album, “Hot & Heavy,” starts slowly with simple accompaniment and a relaxing melody. The song escalates as guitars come in, and the song builds to a full sound. Her voice is smooth and similar to Maggie Rogers’s voice, while her accompaniment and songwriting sound similar to Phoebe Bridgers. Not only is her sound sophisticated, but so are her lyrics. “Hot & Heavy” explores personal growth in an emotional and introspective way. She sings about visiting old places and feeling out of place because she has outgrown them. Her lyrics showcase her talent and sophistication as a songwriter and artist, as she eloquently explores relatable and emotional topics.
On the third track, “First Time,” distorted guitar starts the song with an indie rock sound. The song is upbeat, and the lyrics are fast-paced. She sings about falling in love for the first time and how those emotions can consume all the thoughts in them. The lyrics tell the story of those feelings and how they can lead to discovering more about oneself. The fast-paced lyrics and guitar match the rush of emotions described in the song, creating one coherent story in every element of the song.
On “VBS,” Dacus sings about one of her experiences at Vacation Bible School. She grew up in a religious family. This song explores religion but mainly focuses on her relationship with a boy she met at Vacation Bible School. He is described as not having a deep connection with religion and being more drawn to drugs and Slayer. She sings about how she thought she could save him. This song has an interesting story that is told eloquently.
“Going Going Gone” is the seventh track on the album and tells another personal story. The lyrics explore the idea of fathers trying to protect their innocent daughters when they begin to grow up. She begins telling the story of her and a boy, Daniel, that she went out with. Her father tries to protect her as he was once a boy and knows what they are capable of. The story goes on in verse three to describe Daniel once he has grown up and he is attempting to protect his own daughter from the boys like himself. The song’s story keeps the listener engaged as they wait to know what will happen and brings the story in a full circle. The lyrics are accompanied by a simple guitar that creates a sad, nostalgic and innocent sound similar to the lyrics.
“Brando” is another story-filled track on Home Video. She tells the story of a friendship she had in high school with a boy who was full of himself. The song has many references to old movies, as he tried to introduce her to pop culture and the media. She sings about how he never truly knew her, and he was not as interesting as he believed. The lyrics are clever as she uses references to movies and quotes to explain their relationship and his personality. The lyrics are paired with an indie accompaniment that sounds similar to a soundtrack to a coming-of-age teen movie. Every aspect of the song fits perfectly with her message and lyrics, creating an intriguing story.
Every track on Home Video tells a new story in a sophisticated manner that keeps the listener captivated from start to finish.
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