No Burden (LP)

Lucy Dacus's 'No Burden' is full of surprise and riddled with sharp lyrical observations, playful turns of musical phrase, hooks that'll embed themselves in your frontal lobe for days.

The most surprising thing about this album might be the fact that it's a debut; it has a keen sense of self about it, and it nearly glows from the self-possession held by the woman at its core.

The 21-year-old Dacus grew up in Richmond, Virginia; she was adopted at a young age, an experience that informed her curious, openhearted song-writing, and it shines through in her music, which is guitar heavy with prominent drums that act as a heartbeat to her thoughtful lyrics.

'No Burden' is a forthright, disarmingly catchy statement. And while it's a sterling debut, it only hints at the potential possessed by this passionate, thoughtful young woman.' -Maura Johnston