Juanita Stein – Until the Lights Fade

Less than a year after Howling Bells’ Juanita Stein came out with her solo debut, America (QRO review), she delivers her second, Until the Lights Fade. Drawing on country but not just country, it’s another beautiful piece.

There is a mix of different country styles on Fade. Most enjoyable is probably the wry gallop of “Forgiver” and “Easy Street”, though it’s rare to find a country album that says that one should “Get Back to the City”. There is also the touching carry like opener “All the Way”, and loss like closer “French Film”.

Reminiscent of such American songstresses as Nicole Atkins and Jenny Lewis (though Stein herself is Australian), the sweet country ways of Until the Lights Fade fit on any continent with open skies.