The album puts Imogen’s rich, devastating vocals front and center, foregrounding her deft, cutting lyrics and affecting melodies. The record runs the emotional gamut from the wry, incendiary “All Hard Feelings” (with 70s style backing vocals from co-writers Sinead Burgess and Blake O’Connor, who also tears up a blistering slide guitar solo), a high-octane harmonica solo on “The Art of Getting Through” from the legendary Mickey Raphael, the sexy bluegrass raveup of “Sebastian” (where Imogen is backed by Aussie grassers Midnight Chicken) to the raw, powerful anthem “The Last of Me” (with My Morning Jacket’s Bo Koster on propulsive piano), the road not taken nightmare of “Squinters” (a co-write with Steve Poltz powered by Bryan Sutton’s nuanced acoustic guitar), a fiery Nebraska-esque anthem “If I Want In” (featuring Aussie rock legend Ella Hooper) to the delicate, timeless wisdom of “If Your Heart Never Breaks” (featuring gorgeous harmonies from co-writer Jim Lauderdale and a dexterous and beautiful guitar from the iconic Tommy Emmanuel).

 

An unexpected closing note comes with a radical reinterpretation of the classic Sheryl Crow / Jeff Trott anthem “If It Makes You Happy”, reimagined as a vulnerable duet with Imogen’s tourmate and Americana UK Live Act of the Year Kezia Gill. Aussie fans will expect to see it on the setlist when Imogen and Kezia head down under for a co-headline tour in October.

 

“I’ve gotten to know and write with Jeff Trott since I’ve been living in Nashville,” Imogen explains. “After hearing him explain how he began writing this song late one night on the piano, it sparked the idea of approaching the song from that point of view. Having Kez sing it with me added so much extra magic to this version of one of my all-time favorite songs”.