Laura Veirs – Warp and Theft

Laura Veirs’ ninth studio album is an atmospheric, country-inflected journey, forged from tales of bad men, jazz musicians, and the sights and sounds of summer ending. Heavily pregnant with her second son during recording, Veirs’ mind is clearly on the world her child is about to enter. The pretty, plaintive chorus of America distracts from a disturbing tale of “men packing heat” and “founding fathers rolling in their graves,” and the “motherless children” of Dorothy of the Island speak for themselves. Dubious characters with equally dubious motives seem to feature throughout Say Darlin Say and Finister Saw the Angels. 

Featuring collaborators including producer/husband Tucker Martine, Jim James from My Morning Jacket and KD Lang, it’s a sombre party. Though an attractive brand of melancholy holds it all together. Veirs’ strong songs and understated electric and slide guitar stop the record from becoming too bleak, her sound remaining traditional enough to lend the work depth without becoming cloying or staid. If winter sounds like this, bring it on.