[rating=7.00]
Nikki Lane has been on a steady rise with each record she makes, garnering praise for her give-no-f***s cowgirl attitude and throwback country queen style. And never has either quality been so sharp than on her new release Highway Queen. A stylish, harmony-heavy record that packs a twangy punch, it finds Lane continuing to hone her sound and carve out her identity as an artist.
Lane hooks us from the very first “Yippie Ki-Yay” howl of opening track “700,000 Rednecks”, a lightning rod of a song that quite literally makes an entrance. It’s brash in the best way, and you can almost imagine all the heads turning when Lane sings in a low register, “I drive long hours/I don’t get to shower/And I ain’t gonna brag about the pay.” It’s the truck driving song equivalent for hard-working women everywhere, and a reminder of the less glamorous side of being an artist.
Like its title suggests, Highway Queen deals with the (often gnarly) experience of living life on the road. Being on tour takes its toll emotionally and physically, and Lane doesn’t shy away from exploring both sides candidly. Her songs exude independence without solitude or loneliness. Title track “Highway Queen” has Lane inhabiting an amplified version of herself as she extols the strengths of a lady on her own who “don’t need no king.”
Still, though, Lane isn’t coldhearted. She feels things deeply, which is evident on much of Highway Queen. “Forever Lasts Forever” finds her picking up the pieces after the demise of a marriage, noticing the lighter patch of skin formerly covered by her wedding ring. “We swore for better or for worse/And it was better at first/And worse at the end,” she sings, wearily. “The only thing that matters is a peaceful dissolution.” It’s incredibly personal, raw and heartbreaking, and it makes it that much lovelier to hear things get better in songs like “Companion” and “Send the Sun”. Lane is feeling the love in both, sending light and support to someone special. She’s been through some hard times, but for now, the future looks bright.
