Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again

Album review

In growing beyond roots rock and the alt country world, onetime cowpunk Lydia Loveless has found themself. Hard-earned knowledge can make for fertile songwriting material and here, emotional restlessness, self-sabotage and a passionate struggle to get through daily life are inspirations. Loveless has had troubles and desperate as things have been, they want you to know they're learning. That explosive mix is couched in a more mainstream rock sound, not the twang which the singer/songwriter/guitarist came up in (but largely left behind on their last album, 2020's Daughter). Flavored with punk overtones, Loveless's vocals burn with a Springsteenian straight-from-the-heart immediacy. Despite the musical migration, Loveless has retained a country songwriter's sense of storytelling. They admit, "I wanna get in his head," in full tilt rocker "Poor Boy" but a wiser course is chosen instead: "I need to clean up my mess and leave the poor boy alone." "Sex and Money" may be the finest guitar pop tune Loveless has ever written, and the choruses are not played for humor—"All I think about is sex and money/ I don't care how I get there I just want to be somebody/ All I think about is sex and money/ I don't care how you get here I just want to be with you honey."  Elsewhere, the volume is dialed down and the rhythms are slowed, particularly in the closing ballad "Summerlong." Set to piano and violins, Loveless explores a quieter, more considered side of this new maturity: "I've already decided that I'll be alright/ I'm gonna fight with all my might to be kind tonight/ But it's been so long since I felt alive/ That it feels wrong/ I thought about you all summerlong." Musically, there's sturdy backing from the core band of guitarist Todd May, bassist Mark Connor and drummer George Hondroulis throughout. Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again was recorded outside Nashville by co-producer Sean Sullivan, who accurately captures the rising and falling dynamics of Loveless's moody songwriting. This pointedly titled collection simultaneously values emotional honesty while embracing a more inclusive portrait of Loveless's goals and growth as a songwriter.  © Robert Baird/Qobuz