On Nothing's Gonna Stand in My Way Again, Lydia Loveless showcases just how thoughtful their songwriting has become since 2010.
, a raw alt-country album full of scorching guitars, blunt lyrics and Loveless’ full-throttle voice. The Columbus, Ohio, singer burned so hot that they seemed at risk of flaming out.Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again
shows how they have become more thoughtful as a songwriter. She could always write a hook—see “Learn to Say No,” among plenty of other earlier tunes—but Loveless now is a smarter, subtler lyricist who hasn’t lost any of the candor that made her so compelling in the first place. On the new album, their fifth full-length, they apply those skills to 10 songs featuring searing self-assessments, but also a measure of compassion that wasn’t always there in the past.
These songs stem from the isolation Loveless felt during the pandemic, the anguish caused by a breakup in the middle of all that and a return to Columbus after a stretch living in North Carolina. Accordingly,reflects a sense of starting over, combined with the resilience and determination of a performer who’s been forging a path basically since the start .
That said, it is worth noting that the title of the album comes from a line in “Ghost,” where Loveless is imagining the freedom she’ll have in the hereafter when she’s haunting someone’s house: “Now that I’m dead nothing’s gonna stand in my way again,” Loveless sings, a sign that her mordant sense of humor remains intact. Elsewhere, Loveless is mourning a bygone love on “Song About You,” even though it’s clear the relationship had run its course.
It’s not just what Loveless sings on these tracks, but how they sing it. The musical palette here is more expansive than the flame-thrower alt-country of Loveless’ earlier work, and they use their voice in a way that complements the song rather than dominating it. “Poor Boy” has a surging alt-pop sound thanks to clanging piano, layers of wordless vocal harmonies and a gritty guitar break, while Loveless’ vocals ride atop waves of guitar on the catchy rocker “Sex and Money.