by
Ada Lea
- Record Label: Saddle Creek Records
- Release Date: Sep 24, 2021
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Sep 21, 2021It's a rare kind of unobstructed window into a songwriter's world, but the magic of One Hand on the Steering Wheel is how Levy somehow manages to speak volumes without giving too much away.
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Sep 21, 2021Levy's writing is both insular — her lyrics are dense and singular, her references specific and sometimes unknowable — and insulating, sketching her surroundings so vividly, so minutely, that a city can feel as familiar and often-unpredictable as the inside of your own head.
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Sep 21, 2021Painting a portrait of life in Montreal, one hand... is narrated as much by hurt as it is by hope, and demonstrates Levy’s ability to develop her artistry without letting go of the colouring of sound that renders her music hers.
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Sep 24, 2021Ultimately, one hand’s intimate song cycle provides for one of the most off center, but utterly compelling listens of the year. That you can read through the lyric sheet without listening along and still come away with a strong sense of Levy’s talents as a writer is an added bonus.
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Sep 28, 2021one hand on the steering wheel might not have any clear missteps (though the jagged pedal twang filling the empty space on “violence” wears a little thin all too quickly), but it may take some time to warm to. Some offerings are more instantly likeable than others.
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Oct 7, 2021Levy is at her best when she’s retreating into fantasy.
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UncutSep 21, 2021Levy's lo-fi sonic palette and dreamy, speak-sung vocals hint at intimacy, her creative use of sound effects and electronics the mark of an archivist. [Oct 2021, p.29]
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MojoSep 21, 2021Inspired by Elena Ferrante's dense domestic dramas, wears its complexity lightly. [Nov 2021, p.94]