“I’ll give her a heads-up that I won’t be there past her Memphis show. Is that enough?”
Rusty hesitates, but he doesn’t protest.
We drive in silence for a bit, and then he turns on the radio.
After only a few minutes, one of Lucy Jane’s songs comes on.
It’s no coincidence—this is a Columbia country-rock station, and her first show will be at the Capital City Theater in a couple of days. It would be more surprising if theyweren’tplaying one of her songs every hour or so.
I don’t let myself groan, but I do force myself to listen, bracing myself for moreBaby Llama Drama.
But this …
This ain’t that.
The piano has a nostalgic feel to it that would be easy for someone to get swept up into. And when the fiddle kicks in along with the piano, I grudgingly admit the melody is cleverly composed.
But when Lou starts singing …
Her voice is so smoky, I almost choke on the ash.
My grip tightens on my thigh.
I don’t want to hear this.
But that voice—so smoky, so rich—hits something inside me I thought was long dead.
My fingers drum against my knee, an instinct I don’t even register until it’s too late.
Shoot.
I’m keeping time.
I’m listening.
And worse?
I’m feeling it.
The world vanishes, and it’s only me and this song.
The tune is both hopeful and haunting. I expected a lazy four-chord progression, but this? It twists, dips, refuses to settle.
Does she have other songs like this?
Songs that are so complex and captivating, I’m incapable of thinking about anything until they’re done? I feel like I’ve been taken out to sea on a slow, relentless tide, and when I finally open my eyes, it’s to find myself floating amid the stars.
It’s incredible.
When the final note fades, I open my eyes with something bordering on reverence. “What was that?”
“Pretty, ain’t it?” Rusty asks. “It’s calledLast Train to Midnight. It’s not one of her big ones, but it’s my favorite. She played all the instruments.”
I stare at my friend. “You’re jokin’ me.”
“Nope. Fiddle, keyboard, guitar, drums, all of it. She’s a lot more talented than you’ve pegged her for.”
I return my eyes to the road and give myself a mental shake.
