Sophia Eliana -- Pears & Honey

Sophia Eliana is nothing if she is not unapologetically herself. Eliana, whom we spoke to about kissing girls in church parking lots, is totally fine with making audiences uncomfortable as long as it means she’s being true to herself. Pears & Honey captures that essence: rooted in folk traditions but willing to explore the deep hooks of ’90s pop and 2000s indie rock whimsy, Eliana’s album is the rare one that captures a person’s essence.

It is also anchored by nature. Eliana, who lives in Denver, has plenty of access to gorgeous vistas, which she incorporates into her music with field recordings and carefully observant lyrics. (Also, exuberance, as in the song “Birds!” Two guesses what it’s about.) But that investment with nature is also a call to pay attention to it: the warm, entricate “Barley, Wheat, & Wool” is as much a requiem for climate change as it is to honor the way those who work the land persevere.

Amidst it all is Eliana’s enchanting love songs: for people, for place, for the life she’s built, for herself. That’s a lesson we can all draw from.

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