Singer-songwriter Abbie Thomas recently released the second act of her second career in Not Gonna Lie, the confident, comfortable follow-up to her 2021 debut Who I Am. The multi-instrumentalist and powerhouse vocalist has earned a solid Midwestern following as a supporting act for Clint Black and Girl Named Tom, among others. Her professional musical career blossomed out of the withering of a career in Corporate America, and if you want to know more about that, just listen to the second track, "Bitch Make the Coffee."

Thomas's music across her first two albums traverses the wide landscape of the genre that used to be known as "adult contemporary," covering ground without ever feeling like she's working off a checklist. Her lyrics and vocal performance exude a self-assurance that has been hard-earned through adversity, hardship and life experience. There is an earnestness in her presentation of both the thematic content and the musical arrangements that sometimes verge on paint-by-numbers stylistic choices.

How do I know about the hardship and adversity? She told me. Again and again. For two albums. The lyrics are direct, literal and occasionally awkward, both in rhythmic fit and in meaning. The title track begins with the line: "No I'm not gonna lie, loving somebody's harder than doing time, I imagine...." I mean ... is it actually? Judging by the stories told on Who I Am, it is obvious life has not been sunshine and dandelions for Abbie, but that's a bold comparison to make, to say the least.

She paints another picture in "Wild and Free," a slinky neo-soul jam about the plight of growing up a poor white girl in rural America. There's a bit of dissonance in the listening experience, but it's 2024, I'm not going to gatekeep. She's strong enough to pull it off musically, and the band shows out on this track as well.

In "Get Over You," the pre-chorus implores the audience: "So can you help a girl out and get up on your feet / we're about to dance, dance, dance, to this funky beat." I can imagine dozens of moms in the aisles doing just that, but perhaps it would be the band and the hard seltzers that got them up out of their seats, rather than this polite request.

Overall, the musical performances and production on the album are top notch. It is a joy to listen to from top to bottom. There are catchy hooks all over the place. The arrangements are interesting, intricate and in the pocket. Her vocal harmonies are lush and emotive, always elevating the moment.

"Down for the Ride" leads the album off with a tight, bouncy blues-funk groove that will transport you back to every outdoor winery music festival you've ever attended. The rest of the tracks wind through the blues/funk/soul forest, hitting all the usual checkpoints along the way.

Only in a few quiet moments do the arrangements feel cluttered. "Mid July," a breezy meditation on the simple pleasures of porch-sitting in a summer rainstorm with the family, contains perhaps three too many instrumental layers. Could the dense arrangement symbolize the chaos that kids can bring to even the stillness of a porch swing? Perhaps, if I were extending the metaphor.

Wrapping up the album is the lead single, "Till My Last Breath," a mother's bluesy love letter to her family that might yet establish itself as a comparatively upbeat alternative to "I Loved Her First" and "Stealing Cinderella" on the wedding dance playlist.

Ultimately, Thomas is at her best both lyrically and musically when it's just her and a piano. A different reviewer would certainly pick a few other tracks, but for my money the standouts are "If I Die" and "Crystal Ball." I'm a sucker for a ballad, though. The hundreds of solo piano gigs I'm sure she played at the start of her career have prepared her to shine when the stage lights dim.

I expect this album to connect with the middle-aged divorcees who attend Midwest theater and arena shows for mid-level country touring acts. Is Abbie Thomas content earning a fanbase as an opening act in that world? It would appear so. Is that a bad thing? Certainly not. She knows who she is, and Not Gonna Lie will generate some anthems of affirmation for the people in this world who share her life experiences.

[ visit Abbie Thomas online ]