Kennedy Shaw -- With Love, From NJ
On her EP With Love, From NJ, Kennedy Shaw teasingly drags a foot across the line in the sand between indie pop and country music and erases it completely.
We all have that moment where we learn we can't go home again. And – at the same time – that moment when it's a good thing. With Love, From NJ finds Kennedy Shaw navigating those moments of separation while coming into her own emotionally.
This delicate EP teasingly drags a foot across the line in the sand between indie pop and country music and erases it completely. Shaw's lyrics are acerbic and funny – a cat's claw of humor casually dissecting the object of her ire. For me, With Love feels its fullest in the final two (more country-leaning) songs. "Cowboy Killer" realizes the visually rich storytelling Shaw displays throughout the EP into a skewering of patriarchal mores. The title track displays Shaw at her most sincere and loving, a message to her loved ones about why she needs to go, even if a part of her will always stay.
