Acoustic punk meets country blues on this new one from Sunny War, which confronts some intense emotions and crises head-on – a breakup, the death of her dad, addiction, severe depression… But music seems to have literally saved her life, and this collection promises not just healing so much as resilience and perseverance. “I think the album is split between being a breakup album and being somehow uplifting.” Her fiery intensity is certainly one of the album’s strengths; another is the musicianship: from her own guitar picking, to the work of producer Andrija Tokic (Hurray for the Riff Raff, Alabama Shakes, the Deslondes). He and Sunny recruited Allison Russell, Dave Rawlings, and Jim James among others to create her strongest one yet.
Thursday at 8pm: Sunny War – Anarchist Gospel
