Singer-songwriter and guitarist Hannah Fairlight recently dropped her sophomore album, Lone Wolf, vastly different from her 2020 debut album, Muscle & Skin; the latter was an intimate, introspective acoustic record. Lone Wolf eschews navel-gazing and takes off toward riot grrrl rock n’ roll.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered live to tape, Lone Wolf was produced by Paul Defiglia, who also handled drum programming on “Loser” and “How Many Times” as well as Hammond B3 Organ on “Take Too Much” and additional percussion. The album reflects the talents of Hannah Fairlight (guitars, keyboards, vocals, percussion), Jeremy Asbrock (guitar), Billy Mercer (bass), and Paul Simmons (drums).
Currently based in Nashville, Fairlight arrived in Music City by way of NYC for a starring role in A&E’s Crazy Hearts: Nashville, a reality TV series following the lives and lyrics of several up-and-coming musicians. She also had a project for a minute with Raelyn Nelson, Willie’s granddaughter, and appeared as a bassist alongside Ruby Rose in Pitch Perfect 3.
Encompassing a baker’s dozen tracks, entry points include “Fever,” a stripped-down rocker driven by growling guitars highlighted by heavy, sizzling cymbals. There’s a sensual, Medusa-like quality to Fairlight’s vocals that’s engaging.
“Sum Ppl R Jerx” travels on a pop-punk-flavored melody as Fairlight’s retro-pop-laced vocals imbue the vocals with tones vaguely reminiscent of Avril Lavigne. Whereas the intro to “Loser” conjures up memories of Michael Jackson, but then shifts to a pop-rock melody drenched in vulnerable, confessional lyrics.
The femme fatale, at times almost spoken vocals of “Emotional Men” combined with the low-slung, rumbling guitars and bright cymbal smashes give the tune a dark Lou Reed-like sensation – flamboyant yet under careful control.
“I like emotional men / I like the world’s misinterpretation of them / And I like their misinterpretation of the world / I like emotional men.”
The surf-boogie flair of “Apologetic Me” allows Fairlight to infuse her vocals with luscious snarling timbres. Her voice is at its best when she unleashes it. There’s a delicious tightness to this track, making it one of the highpoints on the album.
Arguably the best track on the album, the title track rolls out on a swaying country melody, accented by a melancholy piano as Fairlight’s poignant vocals give the lyrics wistful, yearning surfaces.
While the scope of Lone Wolf is expansive, Hannah Fairlight’s voice is the sonic filament that imbues the album with symmetry.
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