A Louisville artist with an affinity for Americana and folk sounds, the multi-instrumentalist Shannon Vetter brings a non-binary voice to songs about addiction, heartbreak and resilience, while recruiting influences like Wilco and Gillian Welch for these very aware, acutely vulnerable and insightful 12 songs.
The retro-nods of “Strange Year” begin the listen with bright organ from Todd Hildreth and thumping drums thanks to Ben Vogelpohl alongside Vetter’s expressive pipes in the rich opener. The stylish and groove friendly “Down Tonight” then follows with no lack of melody, and the sincerity continues into the poetic, folk climate of the breezy “Love You Better.”
Some of the best tracks land in the middle, where the atmospheric and textured “So Low” benefits much from Chris Rodahaffer’s pedal steel and the fluid keys, while “Ode To A Drunk Girl” is a piano fueled, raw moment of bare but impactful songwriting. The fuller and playful “Boundaries, Baby” then switches gears with its frisky drums, animated brass thanks to Chris Fortner, and jumpy keys.
Nearing the end, the rootsy duet “Musician’s Lament” with Scott T. Smith is both melodic and rugged, and the rural rooted “Whiskey Lullaby” uses Anna Blanton’s aching fiddle and dense drums for the calm versus loud gestures that blur alt-country bouts with classic country charm.
Some of us will be familiar with Vetter’s work in bands like Vezl and Big Atomic, and they’re well versed in genres such as jazz, bluegrass, funk and jam sounds. This effort pulls from all of those ideas, and the personal wordplay is relatable to anyone prone to self-examination, the trappings of love and the cycles of self-sabotage. Even though the subject matter is quite complicated, Vetter’s songs are easy to enjoy, embrace and become enlightened by.
