There is something timely about Halfsies, the new album by Lizzie No. Just as winter snow is finally landing, Halfsies depicts the winter moments of one’s life: bitter endings with no sign of any relief on the horizon. Bitter, but — watching the snow fall — it’s still cinematic.
No’s voice cuts through the mix with icy clarity here, documenting breakups, friends drifting away, loneliness, frustration with the indignities of life as a Black country artist, and shooting down the possibilities of anything growing out of new connections.
In our interview with No a few weeks ago, she advocated for burning country radio to the ground. Halfsies illustrates what she means: it transcends genre and never sacrifices the cold, hard truth. No anchors herself amid expressive drumming, mournful guitars, and a string quartet that evokes the old Nashville Sound while traveling to bracing new frontiers.
Halfsies is stark, stunning, and an invitation into No’s universe. Maybe it’ll help you feel less alone in yours.