Album Review: Lucy Dacus, Home Video

In 2018, the release of Lucy Dacus’ second album, Historian, and her contribution to boygenius’ self-titled debut EP, saw the Viriginian singer-songwriter being hailed as a modern saviour of indie-rock. Three years on, she’s reckoning with that sudden ascent to stardom by turning to the past on Home Video – a fearlessly vulnerable and tender exploration of adolescence.

It’s her most polished release so far, but also her most intensely honest and autobiographical. Sonically, she’s stripping back much of the heaviness of her previous work, to present a sound that places a greater emphasis on raw emotion – with the epic drama of her breakthrough hit ‘Night Shift’ replaced by a warm nostalgic glow, well-suited to the soft resonance of her voice. The instrumentation of ‘Hot & Heavy’ references the unbounded sense of possibility and youthful freedom of Born In The U.S.A.-era Springsteen, while the hauntingly minimalist ‘Thumbs’ presents a powerful contrast to the surprisingly violent lyrical content.

Lucy’s also reunited with her boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker on the acoustic-centred ‘Going Going Gone’ and ‘Please Stay’ – marking Home Video as the final instalment in a trilogy of solo releases from each of the individual members, all featuring collaborative tracks from the trio.

Even when exploring the darker moments of her life, and the lives of those she loves, Home Video is a remarkably comforting listen – a testament to Lucy’s unique talents as a songwriter, which particularly shine on ‘VBS’. Through the specificness of her approach, she crafts stories that are often as hilarious as they are devastating – serving as touching tributes to friendships and relationships of various forms.