Album of the Week: 'Halfsies' by Lizzie No

When writing through the eyes and perspective of someone else, there is a freedom.

For musician Lizzie No's 3rd album, Halfsies, she did just that, and named her as such, writing the songs through the lens of a character named Miss Freedom.

Throughout Halfsies, Miss Freedom deals with loneliness, regret, relationships falling apart, alcohol, self-deprecation and loss. All the while, No wanted to make sure Miss Freedom never lost her sense of hope, or the hope of being blessed.

A New York-based singer-songwriter, harpist, and guitarist, this album finds No expanding her sounds. 'Lagunita', the first single from the album, and finds an awakening within No, playing around with a driving beat and vocals that come from down deep. 'Sleeping in the Next Room' tells of the loneliness you can experience even when still in a relationship (sometimes the worst kind of loneliness) while that sadness is housed in lush layers of harmonies.

'The Heartbreak Store' is everything you could ask for in an Americana tune. The song begins with stark vocals and guitar, then building in those great harmonies throughout a story that everyone listening can relate to. A thrift or pawn shop kind of a place, filled with items that tell a story near and dear to someone's heart. Someone's story.

Halfsies showcases the growth of No as a songwriter, storyteller and musician.