Album Review – Lydia Loveless “Indestructible Machine”
From Columbus, OH, the lovely and talented 21-year-old Lydia Loveless offers up her first album with international aspirations in Indestructable Machine, through the Bloodshot Records imprint. In a classic Bloodshot blend of punk and country, Lydia comes out with a bold sound and bawdy content to the delight of many critics and writers. Just in the last week, I have seen her compared to Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, and Patsy Cline. I’ve heard her called the next Neko Case, and a cowpunk princess. Rest assured, I like this album more than I don’t. But as legendary football coach Bill Parcells once said after one decent game by a young, promising quarterback, “Put the anointing oil away.”
The other popular point to make about Lydia and this album is how mature the content is for her age. In my little music world, 21 is not young, especially for a female performer. There is a crop of young female musicians out there right now, all below voting age, that are excellent musicians and songwriters, and show maturity in their music with depth, not drinking and drug references. In my opinion, singing about getting sloshed on wine and snorting coke is a green way of trying to garner real-life substance, and furthermore, a little outmoded. It’s fake hussle. Maybe it seemed all fresh in the mid-90’s when Oasis did it. Hank III brought it to the country world in 2005, but now it seems to have run its course, and been replaced by songs that may start with drugs, but end with redemption.
And it makes a difference that Lydia seems to be singing biographically, instead of working through the medium of character. I have no doubt the lyrics are authentic, but that just makes me worried for her well-being instead of personifying some infectious party attitude or empathetic camaraderie. I also can’t help but thinking, did we wait to put out this album until Lydia was 21 because of the bawdy content, or does she include the bawdy content to make up for the perceived weakness of only being 21?
This album is funny, but not always witty. It’s dark, but not always deep. It is sad, but not always soulful. But sometimes it is. I know Lydia put out other independent albums before this, but Indestructable Machine has a lot of the earmarks of a freshman release. The strength is the lyrics, but her over-singing sometimes buries the content. The music is engaging, but an ever-present electric guitar droning with overdrive saps a lot of the space out of the project. It also has that “tracked-out” feel, meaning the parts to the songs were recorded individually, and then reassembled later; a common practice in music, but one that can result in the loss of the groove if not done properly. A lot of the songs on this album are just busy, and you add this to Lydia’s unusual (thought not necessarily bad) cadence, and it just comes across as a little incongruent and confusing to the music mind.
Some of this confusion is on purpose in the first song “Bad Way To Go”, which revives itself with some solid catchiness. “Can’t Change Me” is another catchy track, which leads into “More Like Them”, channeling the style of Cindi Lauper, conjuring visions of Molly Ringwald dancing the bop. In a few places, this album is more powerpop than cowpunk or country.
Then the gears shift completely in the hard country composition “How Many Women”, where Lydia’s vocal prowess is displayed, but unfortunately not in conjunction with her usually-stronger songwriting, which comes into play with the next two very entertaining tracks “Jesus Was a Wino” and the fictitious stalking song “Steve Earle”. Some soul sinks in on “Learn To Say No”, a pretty strong track despite the rather innocuous sonic style. “Do Right” reverts back to the self-righteous party-girl motiff, but is balanced by the self-loathing acoustic-driven end track “Crazy.”
For all the holes I’m poking in this Indestructible Machine, overall, this is a really fun album. It is fun to listen to, and at times you will find yourself laughing out loud to the lyrics. And without question, I see tremendous potential here from Lydia, lyrically, sonically, and as a singer. And I do think this album will appeal to a younger audience, and that may be it’s greatest asset, and an important one in a genre bloated with 30-something fans watching those little bits of gray creeping in more each month.
Young artists need encouragement, which Lydia has received from The Washington Post to Spinner. But they need honesty as well. And my honest opinion is Lydia is good, but may still need to do some growing, get some skins on the wall and get out there and tour, and see that people are dying out here and they don’t just need to be touched in the funny bone and stomp their boots, but they need to be touched in the heart as well. That’s what Loretta, Patsy, and Neko did.
1 1/4 of 2 guns up.
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Purchase Indestructible Machine from Bloodshot Records
Preview & Purchase Tracks from Amazon
September 22, 2011 @ 8:55 am
Listened to it for the first time on the drive yesterday…couldn’t help think of a mix of the vocal sounds of Belinda Carlisle and Shonna Tucker…and, I mean that as a big compliment.
September 22, 2011 @ 9:21 am
A Bill Parcells quote in a music review! Excellent. Made this Giants fan smile.
As always, a very thoughtful review. Hopefully, it’s a helpful one, too.
September 22, 2011 @ 9:58 am
I heard “Can’t Change Me” on the Bloodshot sampler and decided to pick this up. I have a hard time finding female country artists that I enjoy, but I definitely enjoy this album. Little Lisa Dixie, Rachel Brooke and now Lydia.
Nice, honest review.
September 22, 2011 @ 10:21 am
As two of the “bloated 30-something fans,” Tawny and I caught her on tour probably like 7 or so months ago and became instant fans. She puts on a great live show, not to be missed.
September 22, 2011 @ 4:48 pm
More Like Them is Go Go reminiscent without the go. Not really wowing me. How Many Women and Can’t Change Me stand out the most to me. Still sounds better than most of the POP fare.
September 23, 2011 @ 11:47 am
Even after the lukewarm review, I’m really looking forward to this one. I’ve also heard “can’t change me” from the bloodshot sampler and I really like the sound and the attitude. I, for one, haven’t grown tired of the “drinkin, druggin, devil” lyrics in underground country. Thats part of what attracted me do the genre in the first place. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that I’m 26 and still haven’t quite grown out of my “party phase”. I enjoyed “Down in the Barnyard” as much as anybody but they can’t all be soulful and somber. Sometimes I just need to crank some tunes to let loose on a Friday night and this sounds like it’ll do the trick.
September 24, 2011 @ 7:50 am
Come on Triggerman, you really should do your research prior to writing a review, (i.e. the album was recorded live not tracked out)Also-judging Lydia and her stories the way you are here reveals your lack of insight: You obviously missed the point of most of the lyrical content. Singing and telling stories in the first person does not mean these are autobiographical lyrics. These are actually pretty profound observations of a ‘dying’ world as seen through, “the rear view mirror,” by a young woman. If anyone needs to ‘learn’ anything it’s you. The ‘album review’ here reads more like some ignorant social rant about the evils of drugs and alcohol, which might be better delivered at the local tea totalers church or the next gathering of the Christian Womens Temperance Union. Next time- just shutup and critique the music.
September 25, 2011 @ 8:42 am
I did not say the album was tracked out. I said it “has that “tracked-out” feel”, and so if it indeed wasn’t tracked out, then this just speaks to the looseness of the band, and not in a good “Sticky Fingers” Stones kind of way, but one that makes the music feel jankety.
I hardly used this article for some social commentary on drugs and alcohol. Anybody who reads Saving Country Music on any semi-regular basis knows I promote songs with drinking and drug references all the time, including this album, which let’s not lose sight of, regardless of the heavy criticism I had of it, still got a positive review, which means I recommend people purchase it. What I take exception to is her lyricism being portrayed as mature. Why not just portray it as “fun” or “real”? That was the context of my concerns, not my allegiance to some temperance organization.
And then you tell me to shut up and critique the music, though your first comment is tied to a critique of the music. ??? The vast majority of this article is a critique of the music, including two paragraphs that talk about each song specifically.
I like Lydia Loveless and I look forward to seeing what she has to offer in the future. My job is to be as honest as I can about the music I review, and that’s what I did here, and I stand behind it 100%.
September 25, 2011 @ 3:36 pm
Kudos then to a 21 year old who has experienced the pain and suffering of this dying world, lived to tell, and now is spreading her insights through her recordings. If you’re going to offer up observations, then be able to talk about it after the needle is lifted from the vinyl.
September 25, 2011 @ 3:26 pm
These are some good points, but Lydia’s got a hell of a voice and really, the coke snortin’, fightin’ and drinkin,’ themes may be well-worn, but there’s loads of talent here that will likely only get better, unless of course Nashville gets hold of her.
October 3, 2011 @ 11:31 am
I “discovered” Lydia last summer when she was 19. Based on one live video and a minimal online presence otherwise, I invited her out from Ohio to my Gram National show in Boston. She and band came; even shared kit. I pushed her big there (the local radio show played her cut as opposed to all the other local bands I had for two nights of music). I have to say, she was great, and the entire room thought so. She was the hit of the show, which featured some superlative acts. A few months later she was signed to Bloodshot. I got in touch with her early this year to see if we could repeat, got a positive response from her, but then had trouble getting through her handlers, which got me in trouble with her people as I get pissed when I have to deal with signed artists’ management who don’t get my thing. I don’t know if it’s coincidence that she’s scheduled in Boston two days before my six-band event this year. At any rate, I’ve always felt she was the real thing, yes she is young and certainly has an attitude but has been nothing but gracious personally, and I have a feeling she dislikes the same business types I do. I haven’t heard the new album, but I could see how all that stuff might get in the way of her raw talent, which in Lydia’s case needs to remain raw. All I can say is, she blew away my room a year ago in Boston, and I’m sure she’ll do the same this week (and hopefully not steal too many from my show on Saturday!). All my best to her. Will James, Gram InterNational IV
October 3, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
Digging this album. Only heard it once so far but I can already tell it’ll have it’s time in my stereo as soon as Machine Head’s latest finds it’s way out.
October 26, 2011 @ 11:38 am
I couldn’t disagree with your review more. While I appreciate your penchant for a more traditional approach, I like the chances Lydia and her band has taken with this release. The recording is great, the playing is great, the songs are mostly great (the ones that aren’t great are above average, IMHO) , and Lydia’s voice and cadence are unique and memorable. Having taken the time to check out many of her live videos, I think the playing and recording do her songs great justice.
Indestructible Machine pairs a honky tonk sensibility with a little Detroit Cobras swagger to great effect (especially on songs like “Can’t Change Me”). And while I don’t necessarily agree with the Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells references, I do here a tad of Neko and Connie Smith coming through. I do think her songwriting does show more maturity and depth than you give her credit for. It may not be transcendent (and I’m not sure anything is to my jaded ears these days), but it is very, very good.
This may all come down to simply personal preference, but I dig Indestructible Machine big time. Looking forward to seeing Ms. Loveless and her band in my town, and very much looking forward to hearing more from this talented, young artist. If she gets any better, she might just hit the “transcendent” mark for me.
October 26, 2011 @ 5:28 pm
Good points, but I wouldn’t say I have a penchant for a more traditional approach. Many of the artists I cover favorably at Saving Country Music have very non-traditional approaches to traditional music. The style of that approach is more what I am concerned with. But again, I like the album more than I do not like it.
October 27, 2011 @ 12:12 am
I loved this album, and it beat’s the crap that main stream country is putting out.
I think she did a great job, and now she can only grow, and spread her wings even
further. I do not find any flaws with this cd, I think she can hang with the out boys, like hank 3, and the others. it’s all a matter of taste. I listened to hell bound glory’s
new cd, and while I am a big fan, I would not consider their new cd, ALBUM OF THE YEAR.
I would give that honor to pistol annies, hell on heels. but again, this is just my taste.
I don’t compare the newer crop of artists ot people like patsy cline, or loretta lynn,
I don’t listen to the hype. I buy the cd, and make my own judgements. face it. there are so many great new independent out law country and roots singers, I am a fan of many from this web site has mentioned as well as XXX..
But there WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER JOHNNY CASH, loretta, patsy, waylon,
and so on, so why critics over hype a singer or an album, I do not set my hopes up that high, if you do then you will always be disappointed with every cd you
listen to… me I just ignore the hype, and enjoy the artist and the album.
let these new kids, make their own mark, in music, they may not be the next johnny cash, but I know no one can live up to the legends, so why buy and build yourself up to a hype, that can never be met? you will always be let down if you do.
Just ignore the hype, and enjoy the artist and the album on it’s own merits, that’s what I do.
November 3, 2011 @ 8:54 am
I totally disagree with Triggerman’s review. This disc rocks and has plenty of soul.