Working under the moniker
Ada Lea
, Montreal-based songwriter
Alexandra Levy
released a strong debut album with 2019's
What We Say in Private
. That album collected snapshots of social anxiety, breakup fallout, and harsh personal changes in a series of obscured snapshots, arranging
Levy
's watery reflections in intriguing indie songs that took chances with unexpected electronic sounds. The album created a distinctive atmosphere of distant emotions and tumultuous sounds, but second album
One Hand on the Steering Wheel the Other Sewing a Garden
removes some of the layers of obscurity, offering a direct, often-autobiographical perspective that was only hinted at before. Stunning opening track "Damn" introduces a new level of storytelling, with
laying out a vivid depiction of a New Year's Eve party and the variety of complex feelings it brought up, positioning herself as an exhausted observer wading through chaos and a lack of direction. The frustration is palpable, and even though the song is dark, its level of raw expression is exhilarating. The album moves between mellow rock-adjacent tunes like "Damn" or "Oranges" and tracks that experiment with electronics and production. "Can't Stop Me from Dying" implements jarring Auto-Tuned vocals and a cold synth pop instrumental, while "My Love for You Is Real" begins as fairly straightforward singer/songwriter fare, but soon becomes enveloped by jagged synth arpeggios and waves of distortion. There are also traces of the sad-hearted folk style that made up much of
, but
uses stripped-down acoustic tracks like "Saltspring" to emphasize the new, almost diary-like quality that defines much of the album. Sacrificing none of the sonic character of her previous work,
makes tremendous moves forward artistically with
One Hand on the Steering Wheel
, moving from a more impressionistic writing style into one that paints a vulnerable, melancholic picture in stark detail. It's a rare kind of unobstructed window into a songwriter's world, but the magic of
is how
somehow manages to speak volumes without giving too much away. ~ Fred Thomas