7/10
Five years on from 2013’s “Warp & Weft” and it’s business as usual for the Oregon-based siren Laura Viers. Thanks to its breezy acoustica and heavy UK radio rotation, lead single “Everybody Needs You” beautifully sets the tone for an album that welcomes us back into the fold like an old friend.
Don’t let the easy air fool you though, there are, as the titular warning says, mature themes on Viers’ tenth solo album. Not so much sex and violence, as politics, parenthood, work-life balance – the need to take stock and recalibrate accordingly and so on…
If “The Lookout” feels like a record on emotional sentry duty – a springy, alert mood captured on the lead single – it often finds resonant beauty in its observations. The call-and-response of “Watch Fire”, featuring previous collaborator Sufjan Stevens, promises steadfastness in chaos, while Viers’ unshakeable optimism and canny lyricism breeze through the gorgeous piano-driven “The Meadow” to fine effect.
On guard, but never defensive, “The Lookout” is a wonder – open-hearted, free-thinking and grown-up in all the best ways.
Dan Ashcroft
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