In »Billy Came Back«, a highlight from the new album The Singer in My Band by This Is Lorelei, Nate Amos sings about a self-assured, almost intimidating character called Billy. At karaoke, he doesn’t even need to look at the screen because he knows every word anyway – along with their meaning: »Billy doesn’t need to watch the screen / Cause he knows most every word and what it means«. At the same time, it becomes clear just how suspicious Amos is of such people: ‘The only things he ever did were things I wouldn’t do’. The fine line between admiration and aversion is rarely described so aptly.
Yet it is less the lyrics than the sophisticated harmonies and song structures that make The Singer in My Band outstanding. With astonishingly few resources, Amos creates something incredibly vibrant: songs that feel as though they’ve always existed. Tracks such as ‘And I Haven’t Seen My Love in Quite a While’ or ‘Don’t You Cry in Lonesomeness’ already sound like forgotten evergreens.
Whilst The Singer in My Band is his first album for Matador Records, he has already released numerous mixtapes on Bandcamp under the name This Is Lorelei, followed in 2024 by the impressive Box for Buddy, Box for Star; he is also known as one half of the duo Water From Your Eyes. His new album is much more stripped-back, characterised by rudimentary Americana arrangements and a response to the current alt-country revival. These songs are faster, more playful and more heavily influenced by bluegrass – one of the best indie albums of the year.
