Erika Lewis 'A Walk Around the Sun" Review by Ryan Cameron

A few years ago I had the pleasure to see Erika Lewis play a show at NHVV. The atmosphere was intimate and the music left such a warm impression on me. In revisiting her album “A Walk Around the Sun” I was left with quite a pleasant array of emotions. These songs have such a vibrance in both performance and production, the album on whole conjures feelings of settling in with an old friend for an evening of conversation and confession.

The album does an excellent job of incorporating the sound of Nashville whilst not letting the history of the Nashville style overtake the individuality of Erika’s songwriting. The Nashville influence is tastefully set in the tone and texture of the whisky warm slide guitars, swaying acoustic guitars, and the hayseed haze of a fiddle that all so mindfully mixed, mastered, and performed. 

The album also does an excellent job in sequencing its song cycle. Tracks are woven mindfully and the flow of the album rolls at a gentle pace. What truly needs to be given its flowers is the vocal performance, Erika has a carefree twang to her voice, it is easy to feel lulled by it as it gently moves to the momentum of the tracks. The twang that comes when she ascends into her higher register is used with expert restraint and feels ultimately satisfying for the listener. 

My personal favorite track is the appropriately named “Hearts”. The song sits right at the core of the album, pulsating slowly and deliberately. It has a rhythm that slinks and struts as Erika croons of passions falling to embers after burning too hot. The song permeates a low glow of light in a darkness, one pictures the candle light gauze of a room where Erika is addressing the subject of the song. 

Erika Lewis has crafted an album that will be found irresistible and has the potential to be considered essential for fans of the Americana and indie folk genres. The Nashville vibes will cement its timeless aesthetic, while Erika’s songwriting proves a multiplicity that works to keep the songs fresh and rewarding on multiple listens.