Talena Bricker - War Line (2021)

Bricker’s clear talent is washed out by shiny production, and a chance at emotional connection goes begging. This second EP from Pacific Northwesterner Talena Bricker is a somewhat middle of the road offering; with good quality songwriting and shiny production, it ultimately has little to make it stand out.

The five songs on the record have a nice amount of variation – there is a lot on offer and it’s clear that Bricker is an artist of talent. Having spent years as a songwriter, she decided to start releasing her own material in 2018. Perhaps she is still finding her voice as a solo artist, as there seems to be a lack of distinctiveness about the sound.

Intended as an intimate, raw piece of work, it feels a little overproduced, and for a record which cites The Civil War and Gregory Alan Isakov as major influences, it just fails to deliver that emotional gut-punch. There is quality here, but there is too much going on for it to really shine. A stripped back acoustic album from Bricker would be an interesting prospect, and hopefully there is a lot more to come from this promising artist.