On her first solo album in nine years,
Julie Doiron
takes it all in stride -- and frequently, that stride is a swagger. From its words to its sounds,
I Thought of You
is grounded in earthy reality, with touches of country, folk, and rootsy rock & roll bringing an engaging warmth and twang to the intimacy that's always been a hallmark of her music. "Here I am/Starting over again," she sings on over eloquent pedal steel and handclaps on "You Give Me the Key," but the rasp in her voice reflects the wisdom and resilience she's bringing to the party this time. Occasionally,
's appealing rawness has more in common with an artist like
Courtney Barnett
than with much of
Doiron
's own body of work; it also calls to mind
Bill Callahan
's later work, particularly on songs like "Dreamed I Was," where she reflects on loss with a conversational flow and poetic beauty. Her gift for heartbreaking and heartbroken songwriting is still as keen as ever, but even on
's most gut-wrenching moments, like the romantic postmortem "How Can We" or the bittersweet closure of "Darkness to Light,"
sounds ready for whatever comes her way. Though much of the album revolves around down-to-earth sounds and moods,
still finds room for the boisterous "Cancel the Party," "Just When I Thought"'s serendipitous psych-rock, and "Et Mon Amour," a galloping rocker sung in French. As marvelous as
is at being a lightning rod for heartache, it's great to hear her sound as radiantly strong as she does on this album. The term "triumphant return" might be thrown around too casually, but it certainly applies to
. ~ Heather Phares