Albums We Missed Summer 2023: Keturah Allgood, Bells Larsen, Nora Kelly band, and Jess Nolan
With so much going on this summer, and so much great queer country music, we missed a few albums! Just in case you did, too, here’s some fantastic music from some of queer country’s best and brightest.
Keturah Allgood — Shine
Keturah Allgood’s debut album Shine is a horse pill of optimism against chaos and despair. As Allgood explained in our interview, and she sings her beliefs quite literally in “Radio.” The album opener, a fell-good smooth rock jam, sets the tone for the rest of the album. “Peaceful Warriors” feels the most successful of the collection, an earnest exhortation that is accompanied by a driving beat and steadfast optimism. Shine begins with sunny optimism and on-the-nose lyrics, but as Allgood unfurls her wings Shine transforms into an album of determination, grit, and an iron grip on the belief in the goodness of humanity.
Bells Larsen — If I Was, I Am
Bells Larsen’s commanding EP, If I Was, I Am, marks a significant transformation in a young person’s life. The 5-song EP documents the changes in his relationship as he transitions. We begin with the warm “Ten Hands,” a commitment to staying faithful amidst dramatic change. The EP is sparse, centering Larsen’s individuality as he seeks to connect with those around him. If I Was, I Am finds Larsen in a moment of change — he doesn’t have any answers, but he does have confidence, and this EP is a comfort for anyone who knows they need to be on the road, even if they don’t know where it leads.
Nora Kelly Band — Rodeo Clown
Nora Kelly has a lot of love for country music, but certainly no reverence. As she explained in our interview, the band formed during lockdown, when Kelly and her friends would meet clandestinely by the railroad tracks to pick. A punk rocker herself, Kelly leans into twang on Rodeo Clown, kicking the album off with the classic country lyric “Freeze me in cryogenic chamber.” Kelly pokes fun at her city-girl bona fides on “Horse Girl” and continues the weird streak on “Roswell.” But the music here, and Kelly’s razor sharp band, emphasize the loneliness inherent in country music — and the strange landscapes we find ourselves in post-lockdown, alienated and alienating, but trying to ride it out together.
Jess Nolan — ’93
Jess Nolan’s ’93 is a tour de force of inventiveness. Nolan isn’t picky about her influences — while there’s a strong folk underpinning, Nolan’s music lives somewhere between pop, R&B, and jazz. Nolan mentioned in our interview that ’93 feels like her most vulnerable album, a return to acoustic instrumentation that centers her voice. Yet songs like “Sweet Like a Peach,” which reminds us that we can “fall in love with anyone,” shows us an artist who knows exactly what she wants when she wants it. This album is an intrepid exploration of Nolan’s creative boundaries — and pushing well beyond them into music that is daring and brave.
