Adia Victoria // Silences

Adia Victoria

Silences

Canvasback/ATL

4.5/5 Stars

A truly exciting new presence in the music industry, Adia Victoria has arrived at a deftly defined, unique sound with her second record Speechless. The follow-up to 2016's Beyond the Bloodhounds, Speechless relies less on the derivative cliches of blues and country, and instead reinvents them and uses them to her advantage. By the album's third track, "Pacolet Road," most listeners will probably be sold. The Nashville, Tennessee songwriter blends dark tones and themes with a simmering pop power making for a "gothic blues" product that's utterly thrilling. Perfectly made for the danger of some futuristic juke joint, Victoria skips around from sound to sound while staying in the same rustic Motown wheelhouse. There's the acoustic blues picking of "Bring Her Back," and the brass-led totally-not-satanic sweetness of "Devil is a Lie." There's the convincing coos of "Cry Wolf" floating above sonic chaos and the anthemic glory of "Dope Queen Blues." Victoria is a star in the making, her unique energy and captivating personality shining through this recording, easily rising above the multitudes of songwriters around her. Sure, to some, she'll be the new Lana Del Ray, but to many she'll be something totally new. — Nick Warren