Joy'All

“How do you say goodbye forever?” she asks on the heartbreaking finale, “Chain of Tears”, before reminding everyone how raw, personal, and painful these songs can be. But then, unlike some of her contemporaries who might overthink the landing after uttering such a powerful phrase, she nails it in the plainest way possible. “Sincerely asking advice.” Here’s some: More of this, please.

Joy’All is possibly Lewis’ best solo work to date – the sound of a woman fearlessly grappling with middle-age and dealing with all it has to throw at her.

Trying on outfits/styles, genres/sounds is all second nature for Lewis and while there are clear country touches throughout Joy’All, Lewis manages to make them her own, evolving, writing, and singing with a sense of palpable happiness and freedom.

Above all, Joy’All seems like the work of an artist content with floating through life, just having fun – and she’s brought us along for the ride.

‘Joy’All’ finds Jenny Lewis chasing her instincts, working with light and energy. On the closer, she warns “if it ain’t right it’s wrong…” – on ‘Joy’All’ everything feel’s right.

While the songs feel of a piece with one another, there is subtly rich variety here, from the retro pop of Love Feel and Chain of Tears to stargazing reflection on Essence of Life and the dusky groove of Giddy Up and the title track.

Highlights include the distinctly Davis-ish "Apples And Oranges", the spectral soul of "Giddy Up", and the country trundle of "A Puppy & A truck". [Jul 2023, p.30]

Each track conjures up dusty Nashville bars, from the spoken word sandwiched between a lament to love on album closer ‘Chain Of Tears’ to a knowing play on country cliches on Jenny’s exploration of happiness in her forties, ‘Puppy and a Truck’.

‘Joy’All’ proves that she’s maturing into one of pop’s foremost storytellers.

Joy’All is the sound of a woman who has accepted herself — her past and her present — and now just wants to cut loose. Her broken heart still bears bruises, but it has healed enough to keep her moving. When life hands Lewis lemons now, she makes Lynchburg lemonade.

Joy’All’s tone is light, even flippant at times. After a scant 10 tracks and barely 30 minutes, you might be left wanting a deeper exploration of some of Lewis’s more complicated feelings about this new phase of her life.

Joy’All has an amiable listlessness: It’s loveable, but I wish there was more to love.