It was 2008 when I first fell in love with country music thanks to the wonders of YouTube. This was a revelation for twelve year old me as I now had almost unlimited access to this new genre of music, a genre that the UK was still very reluctant to embrace.Before this exciting discovery, I spent a good chunk of my childhood indoors incessantly watching the two music channels we had - TMF and The Hits (now 4Music). One of the many songs that I discovered, and soon learned all the words to, from these channels was a song called 'Breathe In'. Ten years later, I still know all the words, still absolutely adore that song and am now sitting here writing this review of Lucie Silvas' debut country album, Letters To Ghosts...for me, it feels almost full circle.
But enough about me.
Letters To Ghosts is an album years in the making with first traces of the release appearing online as early as 2011. It may be Nashville tempered but it does not at all feel like a departure from her earlier discography. The same soul that distinguished Lucie from other artists in the mid noughties remains, anchored at the heart of every song - only this time it comes mixed with the new and different influences that Lucie has encountered since relocating to Music City. As radical as a switch to a different continent sounds, the resulting change in musical direction feels completely natural.
Lucie only very recently made her Opry bow and Letters To Ghosts will almost certainly cement her position as a regular on that famous stage. This tremendous album is packed with honesty and emotion. The opening title track is a story of strength and loss, powered by an infectious stomp. The powerful 'Smoke' follows with a chorus that packs one hell of a punch and a captivating vocal. The word 'captivating' perhaps best describes the album as a whole with later songs such as 'Roots', 'Unbreakable Us' and 'Villain' leaving you hanging on each individual note.
It's not all intense. 'Find a Way', 'How To Lose It All' and 'Happy' are more upbeat numbers, a nice change of pace and a chance to take a breather between the heavier numbers. They lean more to the pop side of the spectrum, a little throwback to Lucie's earlier hits. This album will appeal to both new and old fans alike and I suspect that it will appeal to a whole host of new listeners.
In short, there is not a single bad track on this album. The time that has been taken for this album to come together has clearly been very well spent. Lyrically, it's clever and musically, it's an exciting new sound for Lucie, who has never sounded better.
I can't recommend this album enough and if you're lucky enough to be able to go to one of her upcoming UK shows, go so that you'll be able to say 'I was there' when she becomes one of Nashville's biggest stars.
Letters To Ghosts is officially released in the United Kingdom tomorrow (September 2nd) and Lucie will be embarking on a set of UK dates next week. For more information on both, visit luciesilvas.com.
