Self-released

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Sorrel Nation’s debut studio album is a thoughtful, gorgeous expression of musical technique and advanced compositional skill. These recordings have such texture and depth they resemble topographic maps, perfectly preserving every peak, valley, and crevice of a life well-lived. An extraordinarily complex record in terms of genre, emotion and sonics, what sets this album apart is just how considered these compositions feel. But just as the entire album is comprised of nine songs, each track itself feels restrained and spacious. Nothing here is forced. There’s a lingering sense, after LOST EN ROUTE has played through, that Sorrel Nation is taking the necessary steps for a long journey forward. There’s no way to know how things might turn out for her down the road, but the musical maturity demonstrated here is a strong sign that this is going to be an expansive and long-lasting career ahead of her. 

The Tunbridge Wells-born singer songwriter’s constant traveling—she lives life mainly in a camper van, traversing the highways and byways of the British Isles—

only magnifies those moments of solitude while not around friends and loved ones, and she isn’t reluctant to share the sense of loneliness and despair she occasionally feels. This distance and time apart influences much of the writing, which is evidenced with the album’s title song. She edges into country territory with Old Man, a somewhat sombre barroom saga, telling the story of a lonely old man who, like so many others, finds solace in the bottle, all on his own. Cramer-style Nashville piano creates just the right ambience for this evocative yarn, while Sorrel’s voice is sympathetic, underscoring the pain and sadness in the lyrics to create an emotionally visceral experience.Living Free, praises the power of dreaming big in spite of life’s challenges. She digs into the song’s darker, emotional side, sometimes bordering on the distraught, with a gradual ease forward, a call-to-attention, in the same way a teacher might whisper instructions in front of an unruly classroom, instead of yelling. 

Sorrel has one of those voices that makes you immediately stop what you’re doing to give her your full attention. If you’ve ever heard her sing, you know what I’m talking about. She could sing the phone book, as the saying goes. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to, because she has lots of top-shelf, self-penned material to choose from. Crazy For You is the perfect example, an arresting opener; a simple, yet beautiful tune that smartly sets the tone for an album filled with such thoughtful choices. The song’s swelling romance and quiet tenderness, seamlessly knitting folk to soul to blues to rock, to apply macro-level interpretation. Sorrel’s soaring voice really takes it to the next level. A somewhat dark, yet triumphant offering. Dead Man’s Road shows that Sorrel is not afraid to be bold and make (more than) a little noise as a collage of sound rains down to bring the song to a dramatic close. Then there’s the indescribably aching heartbreak ballad Eggshells, in which her voice will pierce right through you as she faces up to the realisation that a long-term relationship is over, despite her deep feelings of regret. Leave it to Sorrel Nation to write an album that leaves you feeling both bereft and whole again in one swoop.

www.sorrelnationmusic.com

September 2024