Lydia Loveless has become one of my favorite female artists around today. Her brashness combined with her heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics always reminds me of songwriters like Paul Westerberg. Bloodshot Records just re-released the EP where it all began, Boy Crazy, along with six other tracks including covers of Prince, Elvis Costello and Kesha. Nothing filler about any of this. If you are a fan of Lydia, this is a must own.
Boy Crazy is Lydia Loveless’s “rock and roll tribute to baseball pants and youth.” Featuring sun-washed, rebel-powered pop songs presenting a conversation about judgment and loss of innocence, as one transitions from good old American naivete to you-should-know-better “wisdom.” These songs see Lydia and her incredible band roping in their signature twangy, pedal steel-laden rock beat-em-ups and tying them tightly with the crisp Southern air of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Damn the Torpedoes and the snarling-but-sweet delivery of Juliana Hatfield’s heyday. It’s a summer set that arrives a little tardy this year, just in time to prolong those long, buzz-chasing July days when you hang out where you know you aren’t supposed to. This time, you just don’t care about getting caught.
The Fat Angel Sings 