Lola Kirke sets an immediate standard with Trailblazer. It is not from her writing or her songs per se, but the title. There is a demand, a definition of the artist at play before a note of music has come through the speakers. A trailblazer. Is it what Kirke defines herself as? Or what she hopes to be? Whatever the case, her third album, Trailblazer, is an apt title. Songs where the protagonist leaves a fiery wreckage or lasting impression but is long gone by the time the dust has settled. Welcome, soft adaptations of trail music with the modern pangs which Kirke has moulded her sound to. What Trailblazer offers is an amalgamation of influences. Once their hooks are in us, be it Elvis Presley or Led Zeppelin, New York City or the rhinestone charms of glistening Las Vegas, it is hard to shake them off.
Kirke is open about what guides her through the cultural highs and lows, it gives Trailblazer an honesty which it makes good on. An exceptional voice is what gives Trailblazer much of its gravitas. What does it mean to be a trailblazer in the modern world? At a time where it feels all the great swathes of creation have been discovered and are merely adapted, it is a welcome experience from Kirke, who is finding new avenues of success in the comfortably memorable genres of the past. Indie pop blurs, lighter tones and a country swing are swirled together with great success. It is not the act of becoming a star of the new era which defines Kirke, but a question over whether their work is offering the chance for revolutionary sound. A new move through old genres. Trailblazer underscores the thrill of creation in pursuit of a sound which has not yet appeared. Easy On You blurs the traditional with the defiant, one of many brilliantly written pieces.
Country is a broad genre, and where Kirke finds joy is in the lap steel, in the tender strings. There is an earnestness to these instrumental inclusions, to the likes of 241s where the lyrical quality is highlighted. Where it may sound like straight-shooting songs of love and hate, Kirke does well to develop them into nuanced takes on the everyday situations which, years later, are still on our mind. Trailblazer is filled with catchy pop flair, as Marlboro Lights & Madonna showcases. But it is not an adaptation of tones from the past, nor a hint into the future. Kirke manages to keep her ever-interesting sound rooted in the present. Even when Hungover Thinkin’ reflects on the past, the main line through is the present, the act of remembering. It keeps Trailblazer alive, a beautiful and moving piece of work. Softer suggestions of finding defiance not through actions but in personality traits is sounded off well with 2 Damn Sexy, and once more it uses those countrified tones to sell its point.
Trailblazer is not asking us to believe the genre blur is the point of its uniqueness. It does a tremendous job regardless, but the real joy of Kirke’s third album is the defiance, the sense of independence, heard in the lyrics. That is the clear route through this album, the constant suggestion of being your own person. To be a trailblazer in your own life, to do as you want with full regard to your feelings. Where this may be nothing new, the presentation, the effectiveness of it and the wonderful writing style, blurred so well, is certainly a slice of fresh and hopeful suggestions. Its Americanised moments with Zeppelin III bring it all back to the roots of country and location, but the bulk of Trailblazer’s hopes and dreams, are universal.
