Lola Kirke
Strange country
One Riot
March 11, 2024
Web Exclusive
Lola Kirke has always straddled the line between country music and unabashed pop. Her 2022 album, Lady for Saleperfected the formula in a series of bangers that found Kirke mixing her vocals with big pop production and '80s effects on tracks like “Better Than Any Drug.”
To her Strange country EP, Kirke ditches the pop sheen and brings in the steel guitar and fiddle, going full country. Opener “All My Exes Live in LA,” which features a first aid kit on backing vocals, is a downtempo ballad with giant melodies and a catchy feel. “He Says Y'all” is a danceable honky-tonk romp with lines like “I like my boots clean and my boys dirty.” “My Home” is a defiant declaration of independence. And “Karma” finds Kirke sharing vocals with Rosanne Cash on a beautiful ballad that fits right into the pantheon of traditional country cheatin' man epics.
Then, in four songs and just a hair over 10 minutes, it's all over, leaving the listener yearning for more. Let's hope in the future Kirke is more than curious and we understand more about where this EP came from. (www.lolakirkemusic.com)
Author Rating: 7.5/10
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