New York, NY
A jammed zipper. A plywood guitar. A beat up Buick. On her sophomore record, Baltic Street Hotel, Sophie Gault’s curation of unsuspecting totems becomes a breadcrumb trail. Her shrewd but vitally sincere lyricism is steered by impressive guitar work and sturdy vocals, steeped in equal parts honey and rust, as fleeting moments assume the role of something more precious. An exploration of Gault’s experience with bipolar disorder, Baltic Street Hotel sees the Nashville singer, songwriter, and guitarist seeking a path to forgiveness in many forms.
“Over & Out” opens reverb-heavy like the echo of overthinking, Gault's dulcet tones of redemption pleading, "Don’t you know that I’m only human / I’m only doing things the best way I know how / Trying to figure it out / don’t give up on me now." Whether speaking to herself or a long lost friend, her words call for understanding and leniency, a reminder that there is always more beneath the surface of any one person’s actions. Her unwavering voice turns ominous and storied amid chugs of swampy bass on the outlaw-inspired “Kid on the Radio" as she points out the importance of not trying to go it alone. Here, and on her anti-gospel ode to self-destruction "Kick the Devil Away," Gault is joined by a backing “choir of angels” that includes fellow Nashville recording artists Lilly Hiatt and Jon Latham.