Valerie June's new album begins with this verse:
"There is a light you can see/ That is wanting to be free/ A hidden light deep inside/ Learn to trust your spirit guide
"There is a light you can find/ If you stop to take the time/ Know when it's right, rise and shine/ The seas will part, the stars align."
It's a perfect introduction to her sixth album, Owls, Omens and Oracles, an overflowing fountain of positivity, resilience and joy.
"Joy, Joy!" is the title of the opening track, and like Waxahtachee's "Right Back To It" from early last year, I would not be surprised to find it on many Best Of lists at the end of this year. With the rolling bassline, garage blues guitar, and June's rising and falling melody, it's an earworm and a half.
Owls, Omens and Oracles was produced by M. Ward, where his knack for classic pop sounds is a natural fit for the unique vocals and uplifting songwriting that June is known for.
On the journey through life, "Trust The Path" finds the pair channeling '70s pop with a slowly unfolding piano melody underneath typical June lyrics like, "Entering the science of my mind," and "Staring through the window of all souls." In a world where "cosmic" has become a buzzword tossed willy-nilly at countless artists, Valerie June is the real deal.
From her early releases, her beguiling voice and lyrics often touch on the spiritual, metaphysical and indescribable — that combination giving June's music a distinctly otherworldy quality despite it being firmly grounded in rootsy genres like folk, blues and R&B.
Throughout the album, the singer highlights the importance of love in anchoring her optimism. Yes, June will remain positive and keep hope in the face of an increasingly hate-filled world and never-ending stream of horrible news. She also acknowledges that the strength she needs for that mindset comes from giving and receiving love.
With a cheerful piano and horn arrangement from M. Ward, "Love Me Any Ole Way" is a playful slice of Fats Domino-inspired classic pop that asks for love, no matter the situation.
Valerie June intended Owls, Omens and Oracles to be an antidote for the intense negativity and hopelessness that surrounds us, and that's exactly what she and M. Ward created. If you need more joy in your life, put this album on.
Must listens
- "Joy, Joy!"
- "All I Really Wanna Do"
- "Endless Tree"
- "Inside Me"
- "Trust The Path"
- "Love Me Any Ole Way"
- "Changed (ft. Blind Boys of Alabama)"
- "Sweet Things Just For You"
- "My Life Is A Country Song"
