‘No Burden’ by Lucy Dacus (Album)

Lucy Dacus: a genuine professional and a truly exciting prospect

A guitar-heavy debut album which offers a level of maturity that is refreshingly honest and complete, leaving no emotional-stone unturned

Dacus is an adopted 21-year-old, a fact she has been aware of from infancy. Having dealt with this information with a grown-up outlook, the singer has poured all of the emotion, distress and acceptance into this definitive collection of well-rounded songs, with the help of guitarist and friend, Jacob Blizard.

Dacus expertly taps into the sound of her hometown of Richmond, Virginia and inflates it with chunky guitars. The singer’s vocals are central and dominant in the mix – a decision made by produce Collin Pastore, so the poetry of her lyrics can thrive on their own. The album was impressively recorded in a 24-hour period, proving that Lucy Dacus is a genuine professional and a truly exciting prospect.

Stand out tracks like Strange Torpedo see the singer dealing with watching a friend abuse their body, singing: “You got yourself a bunch of bad habits.” While opening track, I Don’t Want To Be Funny Anymore, takes those huge guitars and innately honest words to create a Midwestern rock classic, making it the album’s highlight. Troublemaker, Doppelganger carries on the stark rhetoric in a grungy style similar to The Pretty Reckless. The album shows its delicate side on Trust, allowing for a moment of sombre reflection.

Having been hotly tipped as one of the ‘artists to watch in 2016’, this debut LP from Lucy Dacus delivers in areas where most debut releases do not and is a truly brilliant first attempt from a gifted songwriter.

Verdict: One of the decade’s most poetic and honest debut albums

David Chrzanowski

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.