Erin Lunsford Rhinestones
Virginia-based folk/Americana singer-songwriter Erin Lunsford recently released her sophomore album, Rhinestones, exploring motifs of love, family, mental health, friendship, discouragement, and leaving home.
Talking about the album, Lunsford shares, “I have fixed rhinestones in my hair, I have glued sequins to my guitar, I have tried to make my body smaller and more socially acceptable, I have bedazzled my music persona for years, trying to get my music to the people. And I finally let all that rawness and realness come through in the most honest album I’ve ever made. This album is ultimately an expression of gratitude for my career and how much I love making music for a living.”
Produced by Lunsford and Jacob Ungerleider, Rhinestones features the talents of Summer Valentine, Ryan Lipps, Stephen Roach, Caroline Vain, Shannon Bielski, Wynton Davis, Morgan Stewart, and Rome Pratt. The record was mixed by Alex DeJong at Spacebomb Studios, with engineering by Curtis Fye and John Trainum, and it was mastered by Danny Kalb.
“Name So Pretty” opens the album, delivering a gorgeous melody that both trembles and shimmers with flavors of folk blended with tinges of pop. Lunsford’s voice imbues the lyrics with smooth, lustrous tones.
The title track combines gentle, melodic colors that conjure up suggestions of Julia Fordham fronting a country band. The tune gleams and sparkles with glistening accents. The twin highlights of the song are the evocative fiddle and Lunsford’s expressive voice.
A personal favorite because of its pulsing rhythm and dipped in country savors, “Call Me If You Need Me” finds Lunsford extending her voice into a higher range, while simultaneously showing off her gift for phrasing.
Rife with plush, country-rock energy, “Marigold” rides a vaguely funky country rhythm topped by layers of Americana-laced dream-pop. The drumming on this track is not only finessed but imbues the song with a potent presence.
“Delphia’s Sunrise,” with its layers of Celtic strings, shifts the tenor of the album, offering a beautiful hiatus. Whereas “Watch Out For Deer” relies on a strong bassline for its rhythmic pulse. The harmonic flow of this track merges feel-good-lite textures with Lunsford’s soaring vocals.
On Rhinestones, Erin Lunsford melds classic and modern influences into her own distinctively idyllic sound.
Discover more about Erin Lunsford here.
Upcoming Shows:
July 11 at The Spot on Kirk in Roanoke with Amelia Empson
July 30 at Potter’s Craft Cider in Charlottesville, presented by 106.1 The Corner and Pandemonium Air with Sally Rose and Model House
July 31 at The Camel in Richmond featuring Sasha Landon of Palmyra