Lucy Dacus - Historian

NEW. SEALED.

Matador Records

Lucy Dacus is done thinking small. Two years after her 2016 debut, No Burden, won her unanimous acclaim as one of rock’s most promising new voices, Dacus returns with Historian, a remarkably assured 10-track statement of intent. It finds her unafraid to take on the big ques- tions — the life-or-death reckonings, and the ones that just feel that way. It’s a record full of bracing realiza- tions, tearful declarations and moments of hard-won peace, ex- pressed in lyrics that feel destined for countless yearbook quotes and first tattoos. Dacus and her band recorded the album in Nashville last March, re-teaming with No Burden producer Col- lin Pastore, and mixed it a few months later with A-list studio wizard John Congleton. The sound they created, with substantial input from multi-instrumentalist and live guitarist Jacob Blizard, is far richer and fuller than the de- but — an outward flowering of dynamic, living, breath- ing rock and roll. Dacus’ remarkable sense of melody and composition are the driving force throughout, giving Historian the immersive feel of an album made by an art- ist in full com- mand of her powers. The past year, with its electoral disasters and other as- sorted heartbreaks, has been a rough one for many of us, Dacus included. She found solace in crafting a thoughtful narrative arc for Historian, writing a concept album about cautious optimism in the face of adversity, with thematic links between songs that reveal themselves on repeat listens. “It starts out dark and ends hopeful, but it gets darker in between; it goes to the deepest, darkest, place and then breaks,” she explains. “What I’m trying to say throughout the album is that hope survives, even in the face of the worst stuff.” “Emotionally raw and intimate... (Lucy Dacus has) A big, unadulterated voice and tattooable lyrics.” -The New York Times “Lucy Dacus’ voice has a snuggly allure, its tone warm, deep, and decadent” - Pitchfork “She never sounds less than supremely confident on lyrics that make the personal political, and vice versa, ac- companied by musical arrangements that are sometimes downright majestic.” - Paste Magazine