ALBUM REVIEW: Denitia Navigates Change on ‘Sunset Drive’
Alli Patton
Posted On September 5, 2024
Jagged earth under warped tires, the air whipping through open windows, the heart that beats along to the car stereo – all of it changes, forced to weather the seasons and evolve. In this life, change is the one constant, the only sure thing. For Denitia, it serves as the compass guiding her latest offering, Sunset Drive.
The genre-blurring artist navigates life’s twists and turns throughout the recording. It finds her in the midst of a fresh start, rifling through the things that no longer serve her and holding her desires up to the light. Sunset Drive is not so much a departure from her 2022 collection, Highways, as it is an extension of that release, which saw the artist finding her way forward.
Across the album’s dozen tracks, the voyage isn’t easy, but it’s real. Denitia flays open fresh wounds and feels the aches that come with leaving, growing, becoming. The longing “Back To You,” the pleading “Don’t Let Me Go,” the strung-out “I Don’t Get High,” all exist as testaments to the labor of letting go. They remind the listener change is never comfortable, but often necessary.
Denitia finds peace in the pieces, grounding herself on the weightless title track, learning to breathe on the delicate “Lavender Coast,” and forging ahead on the fearless “Holding On To You.” The record feels triumphant, even if at times uncertain, as the musician charts a rugged path forward, reconciling with a not-so distant past while grasping for a future just within reach.
While the album sounds luxurious – it blends dazzling country, sturdy alt-rock, and breezy folk with Denitia’s honeyed lilt – its songs can seem tender and exposing. Many of the tracks tend to hold up a mirror for the listener, reflecting on seasons of missteps, wrong turns, and growing pains. Because of this, the album isn’t an immediate hit; it’s a project that requires the time and space to truly appreciate its effortless vulnerability and rare understanding. Sunset Drive is a comforting reminder that when the only way out is through, you might as well enjoy the ride.
Denitia’s Sunset Drive releases Sep. 6 on County Road.
