Rating: 9/10
If Lindi Ortega has done nothing else with this record, she’s at least effectively released a case for why Bobby Bones’ idiotic philosophy that artists should only release singles and not albums is complete bullshit. She should get a 12/10 for that alone.
Lindi Ortega has one of those voices that’s made for telling darker stories, for capturing the raw emotions in characters filled with despair and desperation. She’s admitted that some of her material is personal, but she’s also just been blessed with a voice specifically tailored for songs like the haunting “Murder of Crows” or the painful, pleading “Ashes.” Most recently, she gave us an EP that came from the very depths of her soul, written after she nearly gave up on music altogether.
Read: Review: Lindi Ortega- Till the Goin’ Gets Gone EP
If Kacey Musgraves needed to show us more humanity, Lindi Ortega represents the opposite end of the spectrum, wearing her heart painfully on her sleeve for us all to hear. But just as she eventually found hope and a resolve to continue making music, she wants her listeners to find their own hope and joy in life and take something meaningful from her art. So she’s given us the concept album Liberty, the journey of a character coming out of darkness and depression and into the light of hope and life, set with a western backdrop and delivered with a cinematic feel.
And frankly, Liberty is quite a lot to take in. Those who like western themes and sounds will immediately enjoy this for its smoky, dusty atmosphere and references to horses and open skies. The production on this thing is just outstanding, and credit to Ortega for having this vision and seeing it through because country is a lyric-driven genre primarily, and telling part of the story musically is a risk within the format. It’s similar in that sense–and obviously in the sense of the themes–to Marty Stuart’s Way out West. But unlike on that album, the lyrics and underlying story are essential components of Liberty. Lindi Ortega said herself that she wanted listeners to see themselves in this character, and for that reason, the connections here can sometimes be vague–in fact, the vagueness in some of it is the biggest factor holding this album back from a perfect rating here. To that end, my interpretation of this narrator’s journey might be one of several and ultimately differ slightly from yours, but the best way to tell the album’s story and give it a proper review is to take that journey right along with the character Lindi created. The three movements are described as such by Ortega herself;, but the description of individual songs is solely my own.
Darkness and Loss
1. “Through the dust, Pt 1”–Serves as the intro for this whole journey, introducing the dusky, western vibes that permeate this whole album. Minor chords immediately establish that we’re starting this thing in quite a dark place.
2. “Afraid of the Dark”–This is just an introduction to her state of mind. She’s warning everyone around her, and possibly all us listeners as well, “Don’t come any closer to my heart if you’re afraid of the dark.” She comes across here as defiant, accepting that she spreads darkness around her and willing to stand alone, almost daring us to run away from her. The music behind this can only be described as haunting, building into the intense conclusion of the song which almost sounds like the sound track to a horror movie.
3. “You Ain’t Foolin’ Me”–I have to interject that this is just a kickass rock song and one of the standouts of the record, even on its own apart from the narrative. As for the story, this connection is one of the vaguer ones, but I think it’s referring to the people the narrator thinks she can trust but can’t. Deep down, she doesn’t really want to be alone on an island of despair, but she can’t trust anyone, especially not these backstabbing hypocrites who smile to her face and lie behind her back–“you think you’re foolin’ me, but you ain’t.”
4. “Til my Dyin’ Day”–Now we come to a softer, more country moment with lots of steel guitar crying out in the mix. Until now, we’ve seen that she’s angry and defiant and pushing people away, but we haven’t seen why. She has finally let the walls down to reveal the incredible sadness beneath the anger, the pain of the loss of her lover. This also makes the previous track make a bit more sense, as he was the one that was there for her despite everything, and now he’s gone. It also means she could have been lashing out in anger at others before instead of really dealing with this depression, a common response to the loss of a loved one.
5. “Nothing is Impossible”–IN this dreamlike track, she’s gone from resolved to crying till the end of her days to determined to bring him back. She plays his records, wears the dress that he loved, and tries to make everything the way it was before he died. She’s even resorted to bargaining with the devil–“I’d let the devil just take my soul if he’d give me back my man.” She’s reached her lowest point of darkness and despair here, ready to just stop living.
Resurrection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO87T44tAY4
6. “Through the Dust, Pt. 2”–We’re on to the second section of the story, but this version of the theme song is punctuated by a gunshot, the shot that is referred to in the next song as the one that metaphorically kills her.
7. “The Comeback Kid”–I hated this song before it was released ahead of the album, and I still hated it through several listens. I finally accepted its position here when I caught the line, “I’m still alive, so I guess I’ll try living instead.” It connects the whole thing; she couldn’t stop living physically, so if she’s going to stay around, she might as well try actually living emotionally. However, she is basically hell-bent on revenge here. She’s not at peace yet, but at least she’s got a reason to wake up in the morning.
8. “Darkness be Gone”–But revenge can only work as a motive for living for so long, and here, she’s relapsing, feeling the pull of the darkness and the devil in the verses calling her to give in. There is some great musical stuff going on here, as she’s making use of the tritone, or the “devil’s tone,” named so because it’s the harshest, most dissonant interval in music and was actually thought at one time to call up the devil, during the verses. IN the choruses, she can hear the angels helping her to resist the devil. It’s also the first time we hear the word “light” on this record, as she’s struggling to fight the darkness for the first time and make her way toward it. This one is a direct reason why you have to understand the concept of this album because on its own, it’s honestly just weird, but here, it’s a transition point for the entire thing.
9. “Forever Blue”–Now our heroine has made a conscious decision to follow the light and turn away from the darkness and past behind her. Using the western metaphors, she’s vowing to ride her horse out of the storm and focus on the light. Unlike the last one, this song works well on its own and serves as a standout here.
10. “In the Clear”–Not much to say about this track, and it’s one where the writing is rather weak, but basically, it sees her finally at peace and content, having put the past firmly behind her. She and her horse, it seems, have finally come to a place of rest.
11. “Pablo”–Even though she’s found peace of mind, however, she’s still alone. That all changes when Pablo arrives with a guitar on his back. The Latin influences and Spanish chorus really add to this track. It often takes loving yourself first in order to truly be able to love another, and that’s why she’s now ready for this kind of commitment. I had several theories on why, after the last two peaceful tracks, this one is dark again, with its minor chords and more intense production. It seems on the surface that she’d be happy now that she has him, but the song also refers to him having a “broken, tortured soul” and speaking to her past pain through his music. It makes sense, in the same way in which people who have come out of abusive relationships might be fine within themselves but then meeting someone new triggers the old memories and pain. Sometimes it takes working through this pain, or in her case, the pain of loss, to truly heal, and that’s ultimately what I think this song was going for.
12. “Lovers in Love”–Probably the most country for all you traditionalists, with some really cool harmonica. And what a happy track, describing the difference between lovers who walk away and “lovers in love,” as Lindi calls them, who stand by each other through thick and thin, no matter what the cost. One would assume our narrator has found this kind of lasting love with Pablo and is now truly happy.
Freedom
13. “Through the dust, Pt 3”–The intro again, this time coming to us in a peaceful, tranquil form with prominent piano.
14. “Liberty”–The title track, once again exploring those Latin influences, and seeing her and her lover finally free from their past. You can see why this record is so named because reaching this liberty is the ultimate end to the character’s journey.
15. “Gracias a la Vida”–Her final benediction, a song of thanks for all the little things in life, from her eyesight to her hearing to the way she can see her beloved in the crowd. It’s a cover, but a brilliant choice of one, as Ortega sings of both joy and sadness, described in the song as the two elements of her song that she shares with everyone, and both themes that run through this entire record. With this track, she concludes the story well and also adds more of that Latin influence which marked the album.
Overall
This concept is a bit vague at times, but mostly, it is played out really well over the course of the album. The different influences, from country to rock to Latin, really gave this a nice variety, and the western atmosphere in the production serves as a worthy backdrop. Occasionally, the writing in the individual songs is weak, although the connections between the tracks are often stronger in these songs. Sometimes, Lindi Ortega is a little flat vocally, and I do wish she’d had more moments where all her raw power, so common on earlier releases, could have been unleashed. These are both minor criticisms, but my biggest problem is the vagueness that occasionally exists in the underlying story. It keeps this album from being a ten because in trying to relate to more people, Ortega made the concept too broad in a couple places. Still, these are criticisms made by virtue of the standard to which I hold Lindi Ortega, as well as the high bar this album sets for her. Basically, I’m saying the only problem with this great record is that it had the potential to be even better. That said, this is the best album I’ve heard so far in 2018. Go give it a listen.