Album Review: Lindi Ortega – Faded Gloryville
3 min read
Lindi Ortega is a seasoned pro who began her journey in Ontario Canada nearly 15 years ago and since then has made living on the road an art form. She’s an artist that’s out to prove that there’s no cookie-cutter way to achieve your life goals and Lindi has made a name for herself for being the girl that isn’t afraid of the harsh reality. She’s a country crooner with a twist; she’s a traditional gal with a pop sensibility, and a grunge attitude. Her latest release Faded Gloryville is about the nitty gritty, Ortega’s telling tales from the miserable state of mind that is The ‘Faded Gloryville’, where dreams just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. It’s a place you stop off when you start to doubt who you are and where you’re going.
Lindi Ortega does a good job of creating songs that have a recognisable country twang that are crafted with elements of classic rock and it works to make her music likeable for everyone. The first half of the record features a traditional country vibe; they’ve got simple, repetitive drumbeats with Ortega crooning over simple chords with her acoustic guitar and they’re a little lacklustre. The tracks like Faded Gloryville, Someday Soon and, To Love Somebody really highlights the dull nature of Gloryville; they’re the ones that symbolise the beginning of the road to success. Ortega uses these to describe the idea of loving something that’s never going to work out, whether it is an idea or a person. Before you get to the shiny, happy stage of your dreams you’ve got to work through the slumps until you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case finally see the Now leaving ‘Faded Gloryville’ sign.
Once you hit track 5 you’re halfway there, you are well on the way to leaving the dreary, not so appealing stages of achieving what you want. This is where the guitar riffs pick up the pace, the beats get a bit bolder and Lindi Ortega puts her punk edge into full swing. The second half of this record is much lighter in comparison and is full of wholehearted, fun songs that are full of country dreams. They make you want to grab a banjo and kick up your heels while you sing and dance your way out of ‘Faded Gloryville’.
Lindi Ortega is incredibly clever in the sense that she’s essentially crafted one big metaphor for life and dreams. The beginning is set at the border to ‘Faded Gloryville’, where you’re going to struggle the most. These are the tracks that have a slower rhythm and are a bit dreary but they do well to showcase Ortegas clear voice, while the ending is literally the conclusion of that journey and is a set of upbeat tunes. Faded Gloryville played in track order does well to take you on a journey, so join Lindi Ortega as she plays you her story, while her experience and talent truly do the talking.
