Lauren Shera - Gold and Rust (2014)

Given that singer-songwriter Lauren Shera was born in New York, raised in California but now resides in Nashville, you might not be surprised to hear she’s a hard character to pin down.

There’s a strong flavour of country in her sound, as her current location would suggest, but what makes her third album an intriguing listen is the way that influence is effortlessly blended with folk and indie sounds. So, for instance, while tracks such as ‘Light and Dust’ and ‘Sweetgrass’ will appeal to fans of the laid back retrospection of Joni Mitchell, at other points like ‘Lila’ or ‘Howl’, you could be listening to The Smiths being fronted by a sassy sounding Suzanne Vega.

Lyrically, too, there’s nothing stereotypical about her confessional tales of heartbreak and proclamations of self-belief and inner strength. The huge American country market is doubtless the target for ‘Gold and Rust’, but there is plenty here to please those looking for a bit more originality and innovation that that genre can usually be relied upon to provide.