If you were to know that folk singer Lisa Bastoni recorded How We Want to Live not long after the dissolution of her marriage, the likely reaction would be – Oh, another breakup album? The good news is that she spares us that, focusing instead on what lies ahead. Sure, she sings about romantic relationships, but she doesn’t dwell on those or the past either. She considers those in her world – her children, her parents, and her friends looking to find hope. Even the cover art, with her sitting on the floor, guitar in lap, hand on forehead, perfectly captures the theme of pondering what lies ahead.
You don’t have to wade far into this album (“Beautiful Girl” is the fourth track)) to realize that Bastoni is the mother of young children. As the recording unfolds, she’s very relatable, a kind of “everywoman” persona, grasping with raising her children, making a career in music, and doing all the other necessary things to raise a family. This album follows 2017’s The Wishing Hour, which she recorded in the wee hours of the morning in her children’s’ playroom. That marked her return to music after a ten-year hiatus. She began as a full-time busker in Boston playing on T platforms in the winter and Harvard Square in the summer before she burnt out and needed a break. She got married, had two kids, and became a stay-at-home mom. She went through the usual postpartum depression and anxiety and finding music again in 2016 served as therapy and served her well. She’s a 2019 Kerrville New Folk Winner.
This is a thoughtful album as Bastoni fashions what she wants her world to be. Her thoughts on relationships are aimed at those close to her, as mentioned above. The album was recorded near Boston in Waltham with Sean Staples producing and gathering a slew of guest musicians – Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland, Mail Obomsawin (Lula Wiles), Rose Cousins, Mark Erelli, and Naomi Sommers. Not only does Bastoni have a gift for relatable lyrics but a knack for melody too, impressive considering that all these songs were written when her marriage was ending.
The title track has background vocals from Mark Erelli and chronicles her feeling s about the fact that a career in songwriting and her relationship were incompatible. In the summer following the divorce, Lisa spent a weekend catching up with high school friends, leading to “Take the Wheel.” “Silver Line” is about ending a relationship with someone you love but need to let go. “Never Gone to You,” with background vocals from Rose Cousins, details a relationship with a parent who doesn’t have the capacity to stay involved.
This is not to suggest it’s all heavy stuff. “Dogs of New Orleans” is about living in the moment. “Nearby” captures that special feeling when love is just right without even trying. “Walk a Little Closer,” which has premiered, features Lula Wiles and takes on a blissful bluegrass tinge as Bastoni sings about a first date. “Beautiful Girl,” with Naomi Sommers, is a touching lullaby to her daughter. The strength of this album lies in its middle section, beginning with “Beautiful Girl” and extending to “Take the Wheel” and “Dogs of New Orleans.” does add one cover, Dylan’s “Workingman’s Blues #2.”
Perhaps the most meaningful song to Bastoni is the closer, the first written for the project, “Pocket Full of Sighs.” Its inspiration is from a line in a hidden notebook of her grandmother’s, found after she passed away. As a teenager, Lisa flipped through the pages of her grandmother’s guitar notes, an instrument she learned as a 40-something-year-old. After she died in 2017 Lisa inherited her guitar – a 1971 Gibson J50 – complete with her handprint on the upper bout, where the seat and oils form her hand wore away the finish while waiting for her turn in song circles. Her grandmother’s passing basically coincided with Bastoni’s return from her musical hiatus. Gifting the guitar to Lisa, turned out to be gift not only for Lisa, but for her listeners too with these expressive, well-crafted songs.
