Nov 01, 2022
Web Exclusive
By Chris Thiessen
Like a weighted blanket on a chilly autumn evening, Courtney Marie Andrews’ voice offers irresistible, tangible warmth and comfort to any who will listen. She’s like Brandi Carlile in this way, drawing on the folk stylings of Joni Mitchell and allowing her powerful voice to take center stage on showstoppers like 2018’s “May Your Kindness Remain.” But Andrews is a closer adherent to the sounds of the ’70s than Carlile, creating comfort music that feels more contemporary to Eagles and Tom Petty than a descendant of them. Despite being so in touch with the past, on her new album Loose Future, Andrews embraces the present as a dear gift to be cherished.
Loose Future at its best is like a summery breeze, such as on “Satellite,” where she is happy to just revel in the love of her “favorite piece of the sky” over sparkling fingerpicking and interstellar electric guitar flourishes. The way Andrews’ music rides on the wind sometimes allows it to fade into the ambience, especially in its slower moments (“On the Line”). But more often than not, Loose Future invites us into a place of delight and reminds us that “These Are the Good Old Days,” that it’s okay to eschew the five-year plan and greet the future with open hands, that a gratuitous smile or warm song can be truly life-giving. (www.courtneymarieandrews.com)
Author rating: 7/10
Rate this album
Average reader rating: 3/10
No ratings have been recorded yet.