‘Little Lonely’ is the self titled debut from Los Angeles based story teller and songwriter Julie Cain. Whilst this may be her debut under the pseudonym of Little Lonely, Julie has had a pedigree in country music as Bitsy Lee.
This album however goes far further than just pure country, it welcomes folk, pop, and even jazz influences. What I liked about this album, was its off the wall lyrics which at times can be very direct. Opening with the country-flavoured track ‘Penny’s First Available’, this is a lovely story of relationships and how they come to that crunch point: - “I think I’d like to say what I’ve been trying to say, for quite some time now/ When you called the other day, I found another way, to sidestep the issue/ Seems you’ve got something you’re holdin’ over me/ We pretend it’s nothing, but it is.”
In a few short sentences, Little Lonely encapsulates the sort of dilemmas that most relationships get to at some point in their lives and then comes straight to the point with “And we need an extreme makeover”. As a starting track this is a perfect introduction to Julie’s excellent wordplay and strong song writing.
Her playful way with words is very much to the fore on ‘Top Stair’, a wonderful track with jazzy piano and an almost rumba beat which sounded quite Tom Waits-ish. The lyrics follow a story of suspicion of deceit perfectly: - “I found traces of long hair, on the top stair leading to our room/ My love you wouldn’t dare to take her to our room, even dare/ I’m capable of anything in my sleep, I pray the Lord for my soul to keep/ Wash away my sin, and I swear you’ll never get past the top stair”, and so the story unfolds of a vengeful woman with murderous intent. This for me was the best track on the album, as it represented a step outside of everything else on the album, this appeared more of a leap in the dark, and as such it really works.
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Another track that made an impression was ‘Little Lonely’s Lament’, a slow guitar strum which takes in a relationship split with visions of ghostly apparitions: - “It’s a path as old as the highway, it’s a truth as old as the railroad/ It’s a proven faithful byway, when you realise he don’t love you no more/ Little lonely little lost how to calculate the cost of a heart that beats for two/ You hear melody in the rain see figures in the frost dancing across your windowpane”.
'Little Lonely' is a clever, intriguing debut, and certainly well worth checking out even for less roots/country-inclined listeners.
Little Lonely online
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