It’s refreshing to hear about a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn who’s actually from Brooklyn. Solebello is best known for her work with the bluegrass trio Red Molly. Her fourth solo album, however, leans more heavily on folk.
Bostonians beware: Steel and Salt is nothing if not a love song to New York City. You’ll have to forgive me if it twanged a few of my heartstrings. “Brooklyn In the Rain” is a true ode to Brooklyn — it’s not about chasing dreams, making it big, or hanging out on Bedford Avenue (ugh) until the sun comes up. This is an album about home. Whether you’re from my home or not.
In “Movie Queen,” Solebello sings that “We will never be celebrities.” While that’s probably not a bad thing (if I learned anything from yesterday’s 13-hour binge of Nashville, it’s that fame isolates you from the ones you love), it would also be a shame to let this album fade into obscurity.
Brooklyn in the Rain
Chinatown
Movie Queen