Natalie F-ing Hemby, where have you been all my life?! She first blasted into my consciousness a few years ago as a member of supergroup “The Highwomen”, alongside Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, and Maren Morris. Now Hemby as emerged as her own powerhouse with this record, which has been playing on repeat in my car for the past 2 weeks straight.
It’s catchy, sexy, rocking, and emotional. Her lyrics are clever and, at times, gut wrenching. Hemby has been an in-demand songwriter for years and it’s obvious why. In “Lake Air,” Hemby paints a vivid picture by singing, “We were silhouettes, ghosts in the rain. And we almost froze when we left our clothes by the water bank. Every single word felt like a dare, when you kissed my lips I breathed you in and kept you there, lake air.” You can feel the chilly air in your own lungs and your heart racing. In “Radio Silence,” Hemby perfectly captures the pain of trying to reignite a relationship that’s fading. “I tried to reach you through the growing static, I tried to replicate the fading magic. Did everything to keep the signal from dying, all I got was radio silence”, is heartbreaking and so real. Hemby also knows how to perfect rock and pop. “Pins and Needles” and “It Takes One to Know One” are both catchy and permanently stuck in my head.
This is Hemby’s second solo album after 2017’s “Puxico” and hopefully there will be many more in the future. While she also does beautiful songwriting for others, she has the pipes and personality to make it all her own. And I prefer it that way.
Photos by Suzanne McMahon (Suzanne Davis Photography)
About the author: Suzanne started her love affair with photography at age 15. When she's not snapping photos, she is working as a Clinical Social Worker just outside of Boston. Suzanne also enjoys attending concerts and singing. Check out more of her photos at facebook.com/suzannedavisphotography