Lydia Crown is one of those artists I’ve discovered through TikTok, where clips of her acoustic performances have been popping up in my feed. Her combination of warm, slightly haunting vocals and acoustic guitar playing caught my attention, and I’ve been curious to hear what she’d sound like on a proper release.

“It Still Stings” is a pretty terrific introduction.

Crown has a great voice with a little 60s character, some country influence, and an indie-rock sensibility. There’s also something about the way she moves from a lower register into a controlled, higher range while maintaining the emotional context of a song that gives me a bit of a Jeff Buckley feel.

Here, she gets a full band behind her, and it suits her beautifully. The drums and bass give the song a nice Nashville warmth, while the electric guitars and layered vocals add some color and just enough psychedelia.

There’s a definite mid-90s feel to the whole thing, bringing to mind the rootsier side of Sheryl Crow and Tom Petty. It’s relaxed, warm, catchy, and built around a really strong chorus and bridge. The vocal performance is especially fun, with Crown easing you in before climbing into notes you might not have expected.

Even with lyrics about the lingering sting of rejection and feeling left behind, the song has an inviting quality. It’s well-written, clever, and nicely produced. A really solid song that I think would appeal to a lot of people, and one that makes me want to hear more from her.

Verdict: Solid

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