photo by Austin Fenn; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

Album Review of Lara Herscovitch: Highway Philosophers

Lara Herscovitch is a folk singer-songwriter with a relatively straightforward top-shelf singer-songwriter delivery and damn fine songwriting skills. As a singer, you can feel the emotion in her vocals. As a songwriter, well, her songs are detailed and variety, comfortable and chance-taking. Her creativity flows throughout Highway Philosophers.

cover photo by Joy Bush Photography; image courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

I first listened to Lara’s music in the run-up to 2023 New England Music Awards, where she was nominated in both the Roots Act of the Year and Americana Act of the Year categories. (I make it a point to sample some music from every nominee before casting my NEMA ballot.) She has received numerous accolades over the course of her career. To me, I think the coolest was her 2-year stint as the Connecticut State Troubadour. That would be for the whole state of Connecticut… except for Stars Hollow because it already had a town troubadour. And, of course, because it’s a fictional town. Honestly, though, just scroll down to the bottom of Lara’s electronic press kit to see her impressive list of honors.

Lara kicks the album off with one of her best songs, a song with broad appeal, the song that answers the questions “When? Where? What?” Of course, I’m talking about “Now Here This.” Musically, every time the song settles down, it kicks back up again. Now, that’s a matter of perspective, as the tempo never gets particularly kicked-up, but the tempo changes, modest as they are, do amp things up slightly but impactfully.

You want tempo? You’ll find a bit more on “Angels.” This is simply a well-written song with spots where the lyrics become more emphatic, where the music sweeps upward in intensity. I can imagine it with a variety of different arrangements. On this disc, of course, the arrangement is folky singer-songwriter, in fitting with the delivery style Lara performs so well.

photo by Katie Settel; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Highway Philosophers” has kind of a travelin’ song tempo. “Careful Porcelain Doll” is an empowering song about not fitting stereotypes. And “You USA” is nostalgic and hopeful, in a way.

“Sailing to Newfoundland” is an encouraging number that uses harmony vocals quite well, and there’s a tiny bit of well-placed meandering electric guitar in the mix that gives it a really cool sound that stands out, at least to the extent a few seconds in a mellow song are able to stand out. (Just listen for it, eh? I like it.) “Fault Lines,” next, carries a hint of discomfort through its sweet sound, hinting at but not straight-out mentioning the song’s real topic.

Next up is “Shine Sister Shine,” a catchy song with a singalong chorus and uplifting message. It comes with a storybook that’s purchasable here, though you can read in greater detail about the project here on the original kickstarter page. Also, the animated video is a must-see. I think we can all be relieved that the sun got her groove back.

“Castle Walls” is a smooth, reminiscent tale that tells a story. But the next song, “The Tiger & I,” tells a tale, an enthralling, fun, clever one about a true friendship with a tiger who, one can only hope, is a better driver than Toonces. Yeah, it’s kinda silly, but the song is entertainingly detailed, the music is cheerful, and there’s gotta be a deeper message in there, right? Well, actually, there is, and it would a great theme song for an animated buddy movie (working title: Lara and the Tiger), but I’m focusing on the silliness.

Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers; photo by Alex Carpenter; photo courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Rise” has a foreboding tone to it, despite the song’s liveliness. It’s an emperor-has-no-clothes type of song, noting, though, that “the sun will rise again.”

“In Your Corner” is an uplifting song that includes the lyric “remember, you’re not in that ring alone.” It’s a really comforting, encouraging song, moreso after each successive listen. “Wingspan (Acoustic),” following, is another hopeful number.

Finally, “From a Dream” is the song I was referring to when I said Lara took chances. I really get the storytelling method of spoken-word over a music bed with background vocals. For me, it’s a miss, but it’s a technique that will find a 0% success rate with me, so that’s not fair. The technique seems effective, but when I listen to the CD in the car, I usually just skip this one and restart the disc after the end of “Wingspan.”

The songs on Highway Philosophers are mostly very deeply personal – or, at least, touch on subjects that are typically deeply personal. I’m sure that’s part of what will direct you to your personal favorites on this disc. And I’m sure you’ll have favorites.

Lara Herscovitch is a talented singer and storyteller, with the sort of emotive voice that defines the best folk-based singer-songwriters… or, I suppose you could call them, troubadours.

More Recently

Highway Philosophers was a 2020 release. Since then, Lara has released 2021 single “I’d Do Anything” and, just this past fall, “Italian Balconies.”

image courtesy of Lara Herscovitch

“Italian Balconies” is a song with a cool harmonic vibe, soaring vocals and an echo that somewhat recalls a church choir. Or perhaps the echoes of Italian streets, as this song was inspired by the story of Italians stepping out onto their balconies and singing together during the early days of their COVID-19 quarantine. (If you’ve forgotten this story, here’s a video to remind you.) Lara’s song, inspired by that occurrence in Italy, recalls that time and some of the positive lessons learned.

Looking Ahead

The “Tour” page of Lara’s website lists her next performance as Saturday afternoon, April 6th at the Cheshire Public Library in Cheshire, CT. After that, she has shows scheduled from April through December, ranging up and down the east coast from Maine to Georgia, including a December 7th stop in Bluffton, SC, where I always insist on having lunch at The Cottage Cafe whenever I’m in the area… which has been at least eight or nine years now, unfortunately. But I digress. In any case, be sure to check Lara’s website periodically to see if/when she’ll be playing near you and for new shows, as they’re added.