Lydia Loveless - Indestructible Machine

I  try to write about albums I’m pretty familiar with, so I tend to put older stuff on here, but that’s not all I listen to.  I like a lot of new bands and I don’t understand what it is that makes people go from really caring about music and new music in particular, to either not caring and just switching to the country top 40 station and never buying any music again, or saying something dumb like, “There’s been no good music since 1982 (or 91, or 2002 or whatever).”  So Lydia Loveless’s Indestructible Machine is one of those newer records I didn’t think I’d talk about here for at least a year or two, if I liked it that much.

Well, I liked it way more than that much.  In fact, I think it’s one of my favorite albums I’ve ever heard.  I play it almost constantly weeks after having bought it, and I’ve bought new music since I got this, and I’ve barely listened to those albums.  Not because they’re disappointing (on the contrary, they seem terrific!), but because Indestructible Machine is just as good as it gets.  Like Punk?  It’s here.  Like real country?  It’s here.  Like rock n’ roll?  Lydia might have taken all the rock n’ roll and not left any for anyone else.  She just throws it all together with a cocky attitude and a killer band.What she’s got is an album that’s as addicting as crack.

Right off the bat the record kicks off at a breakneck pace with Bad Way to Go.  it’s a ripping song with plenty of electric guitar, stand up bass, banjo and lyrics of unrequited love.  But Lydia doesn’t pine, she calls the guy out on it and flat out calls him a pussy.  That’s what I like about her.  She’s funny, she’s blunt and she’s sure of herself.  I think the next song, Can’t Change Me sums up a lot of Lydia’s outlook on things in a song.  She’s happy who she is and she’s not changing for anyone, even Jesus.

She’s also got two slower songs on here, and I think those are where all the reviewers have decided she’s Loretta Lynn or Neko Case.  She can flat out sing, and Crazy is a terrific little love song that seems completely heartfelt and genuine.  I can fall for perceived sincerity in songs (it’s probably what works best on me, but I realize she’s a professional and sincerity is her job).  The other slower song, How Many Women really doesn’t do it for me.  It’s a fine performance all the way around, it just doesn’t interest me like some of the other songs.  I’ll say this, though – it’s a straight up real Country song of the sort you just don’t hear anymore.

I’m not usually a fan of the novelty song, but Steve Earle is one of the funniest songs I’ve heard in ages.  Steve should ask her to go on tour with him just so he can hear it every night.  I think my favorite song on the album is More Like Them.  I think it’s her strongest song lyrically, and I can really relate to a lot of it.  Which I suppose says a lot about me that maybe I should be working on, but towards the end of the song when she sings, If you think that I’m so fucking emotionally dense, it’s cuz I am, I know where she’s coming from.  One of the other lines I like in this song is really just because of her delivery.  When she sings, I know you want your money back, well I’m sorry but I still don’t have it she kind of quits singing the last part and just says, “I don’t have it.”  It’s kind of funny since it’s not my money.

The record is nice and flat and sounds really good.  Bloodshot is nice enough to include a download card, so I can listen to it in my car without having to record it myself.  My only complaint is that I’d have liked a lyric sheet.  This is one of the few times I’d actually like one, and that’s a pretty minor complaint in my book.  All said, if you’ve never heard this, you really should because it’s one of the most consistent and terrific records I’ve heard in years.