ELIZABETH MOEN Wherever You Aren ’ t
( Self )
Iowa to Chicago transplant Elizabeth Moen ’ s fourth album is relatively unique for two reasons : it shows her marked growth as an artist and a benchmark determination to keep making music in a post-pandemic environment that is relatively hostile toward younger artists for both touring and producing new music because of increased costs and a shortage of tour help . Assembled and recorded around the pandemic and financed by fans through Kickstarter , Moen has refined her raw , reverb-drenched guitar tones and songwriting style despite inevitably laying in bed awake at 3 AM with doubts (“ What if I ’ m not made for this ” from Synthetic Fabrics ”), she has jumped headlong into touring , learning the finer details of traveling and building relationships with her bandmates and the rollercoaster ride of life on the road in this post-pandemic weirdness ( she spent Fall 2022 as part of Kevin Morby ’ s backing band ) while putting the finishing touches on her new album . Wherever You Aren ' t highlights Moen ' s altcountry / soulful singing developed over four years of making music . Her voice meshes an edgy punk Patsy Cline ( she ’ s loud !) with moments of gentler harmonies reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and Jessi Colter ( on “ You Know I Know ” and the title track “ Wherever You Aren ’ t Around ."). At any moment , she can shift gears from a soothing croon to a dynamic shout that can take the listener ' s head clean off . Lead single " Headgear " got the attention of both NPR and SXSW and was recorded in Ireland , with a punk backing band shows Moen at her edgiest , able to write about something redundant as a retainer . Not every song has to be deeply personal , though she has never had a problem writing about broken relationships and trying to live life the " right " way . Wherever You Aren ’ t ’ s best moments are when Moen wears her heart on her sleeve , letting us peek into real life (" Where ' s My Bike ") and self-doubt (" Synthetic Fabric ") where she shows she is down-to-earth and occasionally fragile like the rest of us . She has developed her own sound with her trusty vintage Gibson 340 drenched in reverb and soaring vocals where she can smash the accelerator anytime she likes . Despite recording tracks over several states , and Ireland , Wherever You Aren ’ t ’ shows she ' s maturing and developing as a songwriter ( and singer ) who can do a masterclass on motivation and self-promotion . Appearing 12 / 9 at Empty Bottle , Chicago ; 12 / 16 at Schubas , Chicago .
- David Gedge
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