Haylie Davis – Wandering Star [LP]

Los Angelesbased singer-songwriter Haylie Davis presents Wandering Star, a coming-of-age debut that unfolds like a Townes Van Zandt tale set in a deserted diner off a re-routed interchange: intimate, cinematic and quietly fearless. Haylie Davis channels the spirit of the early 70s, when Carole King and Joni Mitchell redefined songwriting. That time-travelling sensibility is celebrated on Wandering Star, the albums title track. A piano-led meditation steeped in longing, the song carries the eerie shadow of Karen Carpenter, buoyed by a luminous, aching sub-melody. The blissful ballad Horns of Time taps into a plaintive cosmic country palette reminiscent of Emmylou Harris. Give Me a Rainbow follows, a lo-fi folk reverie recalling Clairo, as if filtered through a back-porch-reclining, wide-eyed Dolly Parton in awe of her own roots. Rolling Stone has hailed Davis earlier recordings as gently hued Laurel Canyon folk-pop songs, and on Wandering Star her compass swings wider still. Her maturing worldview and distinctive vocal at times evoke Lana Del Rey and Weyes Blood crafting an ode to Gram Parsons – a hybrid on full display in the self-examining passion of I Was Wrong. A fresh take on modern pop, Wandering Star is infectious, brimming with hooks, soaring choruses and storylines that tug at the heartstrings.

A1. Country Boy A2. Golden Age A3. I Was Wrong A4. Born to be Blue A5. Lily of the Valley A6. Give Me a Rainbow B1. Young Man B2. Horns of Time B3. Lonely Too B4. Wandering Star B5. Mourning Dove