A gorgeously rendered concert album,
Live from Lafayette finds singer
Rumer revisiting songs from her 2020 studio album
Nashville Tears. Also included are a handful of her favorite covers and originals from previous albums. A Pakistani-born, British vocalist,
Rumer has carved out a distinctive niche on the pop landscape with her velvety smooth brand of vintage-inspired AM soft rock. It's a sound that's garnered her well-earned comparisons to icons like
Karen Carpenter and
Carol King, and one which she took to new heights on
Nashville Tears. Having moved to Arkansas around 2015,
Rumer developed a deep appreciation for the everyday poetry and rustic lyricism of country music. She was particularly sparked by the music of legendary Nashville songwriter
Hugh Prestwood, whose songs became the focus of
Nashville Tears. Although it was her first foray into country, it featured all of the orchestral shimmer and pop melodicism that has made her music so distinctive. Recorded as a streaming concert in London in 2020,
Live from Lafayette features
Rumer and her band led by her husband and longtime collaborator/arranger/producer/instrumentalist
Rob Shirakbari. This is a full ensemble featuring string players, guitarists, and percussionists that nicely re-create the organic textures of
Nashville Tears. In fact,
Rumer's dusky voice might even sound that much better in concert. Here, she returns to
Prestwood gems like "Bristlecone Pine'' and "The Fate of Fireflies," along with her own "Pizza and Pinball" and covers like her inspired version of the
Hall & Oates classic "Sara Smile." Throughout all of
Live from Lafayette Rumer shines, conjuring an atmosphere of poignant romanticism. ~ Matt Collar