Formerly known as White Hinterland, Casey Dienel is back with My Heart is an Outlaw. The record is a mix of warm Americana and alt-rock forms, with Casey's voice being the anchor to the material.
Songs like "People Can Change" are bright, with a directness that's appealing. The epic "Seventeen" is a bit too long, but the ambition is appreciated, while early single "Your Girl's Upstairs" still stands as a highlight of the album. Another gem is "3 of Cups" where Casey's voice has a lightness that's really impressive. On the more adventurous material, like "Turncoats", Casey's voice is breathy, pushing the spacious music towards new territory away from the directness of most of the rest of the record.
Casey Dienel joins peers like Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen in offering up straightforward indie-flavored rock. The tunes on My Heart is an Outlaw are engaging, with nice instrumental contributions from Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) throughout. Fans of Duffy's band may find this as engaging as I did.
My Heart is an Outlaw by Casey Dienel can be ordered here.
[Photo: Shervin Lainez]