In the lyrics on July Flame, singer/songwriter Laura Veirs expertly merges powerful human encounters with electric images from the natural world, delivering them over sometimes stark, always beautiful folk melodies. In “Sun Is King,” the protagonist is “Innocent as a summer flower/With a serpent coiled under his collar”; “Where Are You Driving” relates a moment of longing to clouds of dandelion seeds. “Silo Song” is a subtle soundtrack to new love, with Veirs’ guitar sounding giddy with emotion as she launches into the slightly anxious chorus, “Am I going up in smoke?” The album isn’t all about matters of the heart, though. “Carol Kaye” is an endearing tribute to the legendary bass guitarist and rounds out the tracks, furthering the theme of experiencing the full spectrum of emotion.
July Flame
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