Some albums are for the car with the windows down. Abby Posner's Rest and Rise is for the long walk you take when you need to think something through. The Americana songwriter releases the 12-song album on October 30 via Golden Poppy Music.
Where it came from
Posner wrote the songs over two to three years, during what she calls one of the biggest periods of transition in her life. "I was reeling from a heavy breakup, but at the same time I was rediscovering myself," she said in the album announcement. "These songs became a way of exploring grief, identity, hope, and all the different versions of who we become after life changes us. I wanted to make a record that acknowledged the messiness of healing while still believing there's something beautiful waiting on the other side."
The arc is right there in the title. The record moves from heartbreak and grief toward healing, and along the way it takes on queer identity, getting older, a political awakening and, finally, hope. Some songs deal with the exhaustion of staying engaged in a polarized world. Others are about the quiet resilience it takes to keep going. It is not a breezy listen, but it is a generous one.
What it sounds like
Posner calls herself "genre fluid," and the album is rooted in Americana, folk, indie rock and singer-songwriter traditions. What makes it stand out is how much of it is hers: she produced, engineered and mixed the record and played nearly every instrument herself, including a cello banjo that gives it a sound you will not mistake for anyone else's. There are two notable guests. Ryan Cassata appears on "Failures on the Wall," and Freddy Angelico adds pedal steel to "I'm Doing Fine."
"I love sculpting sound as much as I love writing songs," Posner said. "I wanted these songs to grow from simple ideas I wrote on banjo or guitar into fully realized worlds."
Who she is
If the name is new to you, you may still have heard her. Posner has played NPR's Mountain Stage, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and AmericanaFest, and her music has turned up on Hulu, Netflix, The CW, Freeform and CMT. Her song "Get Loud" became the official hype anthem for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
Why it's worth your time
If your year has included a loss, a big change or just a lot of carrying, this is the kind of record that does not tell you to cheer up. It keeps you company instead. "More than anything, I hope people hear themselves somewhere in these songs," Posner said. "If they leave feeling a little less alone, then I've done what I set out to do." Start at the beginning and let it play through in order.
Where to listen
Rest and Rise arrives on streaming platforms October 30. Follow Posner at abbyposner.com for shows and physical copies, and read the full announcement at Grateful Web.
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