Carly Rae Jepsen/Dedicated

Mike Wood

A tween popper no more, the “Call Me Maybe” singer emerges as a sexier, more adult version of her pop persona that debuted in 2011. With Dedicated, we hear an artist ready to embrace an image of her own creation, a singer-songwriter with a little more depth—just a little—than so much sugary pop generally allows. Carly Rae Jepsen is freer on Dedicated, unencumbered by expectations and unrestricted in displaying full womanhood with lyrics that are unmistakably a young woman who is no longer looking to appease parents or a tween fanbase (that has probably already moved on, anyway).

For the most part, Jepsen succeeds valiantly on Dedicated. Some listeners may take issue with one of the album’s shortcomings: its sameness. On some tracks Jepsen sounds like, well, anyone else in the pop universe. And while this can ensure radio, Spotify or Pandora playtime, it’s a disservice to an effervescent vocalist who has always been more than just another interchangeable, pop-friendly princess. We were privy to Dedicated’s first single, “Party For One”, way back in the fall of 2018, and while it launched a fervor for its party-time poppiness as well as its frankness in celebrating being single. It’s songs like “Julien” and “Too Much” that really shine on this album because they’re both catchy and a bit deeper than its debut single. But, if we’re keeping it real, depth is not what Jepsen has ever been about it. And we’re ok with that. We just want to dance, and with Dedicated, we get to do just that.

For more information, visit carlyraemusic.com.

Ghosts of the Forest/Ghosts of the Forest

Jason Savio

Trey Anastasio is hurting. The Phish guitarist’s latest collaboration sees him teaming up with familiar musicians, including Phish drummer Jon Fishman and bassist Tony Markellis, to form new group Ghosts of the Forest for a deeply personal collection of songs.

Ghosts of the Forest is a study in grief, loss and how one man deals with it. Anastasio has said that the recent death of a longtime friend sparked the creation and direction of much of the material here, and it’s clear when listening that he is trying to come to grips with losing his beloved friend while also coming to terms with his own mortality.

Try not to shed a tear in the moving “In Long Lines” when he recalls lighting a cigarette for his dying friend before singing, “Now it’s time to join the others, the lost, the loved ones, they’re moving around us and waiting in long lines.”

Ghosts of the Forest is also a master class in playing freely. Anastasio is no stranger to improvisation, but on this record his guitar’s wailing feels punctuated with extra gusto and fearlessness. He shows why he’s one of the best guitarists today on “Ruby Waves” and the bluesy rock of “About to Run,” the ladder featuring a quick moment of particular jam perfection between he and Fishman.

It can be difficult to hear the normally cheerful Anastasio in such a sad state, but it is honorable for an artist to be so honest with his audience. If there’s a silver lining in any of this grief, it’s that it makes the listener more aware that not a second should be wasted in telling our loved ones how we feel. Like Anastasio asks in “Friend,” “Why do we have to wait until it’s gone to know what love is?”

For more, visit: trey.com/ghosts-of-the-forest/

Joy Williams/Front Porch

Jennifer Russo

You may know Joy Williams as the beautiful female voice that made up one half of The Civil Wars, which sadly broke up several years ago. Thankfully, she continued on with her solo career and recently released Front Porch, an album that displays her insane range and folky, down-home sound. It is an unapologetic nod to living a full life, experiencing the hard moments, and learning from them to become a stronger person.

My easy favorite on the whole album is the title song, “Front Porch”, which sounds like a love song. However, I took it to be a metaphor for getting back to your baseline, finding the home of what you know and who you are and what is meaningful to you when all is said and done. The heart-wrenching “When Does a Heart Move On” would make anyone who has gone through a really difficult breakup, or even a major loss of anyone they have loved, weep.

Another one on the top of my list is “When Creation Was Young”, which enters in like something you’d hear in a western-themed movie and carries the sound through the whole song. It brings you to a place where tumbleweeds are rolling by, someone is strumming on a guitar, horses are roaming – you get my drift.

If you like folk, country, acoustic or all three, this album will have a little something for you. Joy’s voice is a sweet iced tea after a hot and humid day. Refreshing and just what you need to break from the craziness and feel a sense of home.

Visit her official website at: joywilliams.com.