Lucy Dacus Home Video

On her third album, Lucy Dacus makes it clear that her latest collection of songs is not just personal but autobiographical. Anyone familiar with the Richmond, Virginia singer-songwriter will readily recognize the enormous humanity on display here—whether she questions her religious faith, copes with a difficult father, or embraces her sexuality. It’s as complex and sophisticated as 2018’s Historian, on which she willingly lets us in on her life—and those close to her both past and present—with honesty and openness while retaining that album’s more storytelling-focused approach. Which, at this point, is what you’d expect from Dacus. Now, the real difference lies in how Home Video is a more noticeably more mellow affair. Musically, it can be a little thin. Her strength as a lyricist is unwavering, even on her sparest, most nondescript ballads (Thumbs). But, as perkier indie-rock tunes like First Time and Brando prove, her careful arpeggios can also shine when she lets a little looser.