Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Lonely House Review

by Icrom Bigrad

Lucy Yeghiazaryan is releasing her third album, Lonely House, on LaReserve Records. The album has a theme of aloneness inspired by the Covid pandemic’s shutdown and living in New York, particularly the early, dark days of 2020. The album emerges as a repertoire of eleven calm compositions recorded with the tranquil accompaniment of pianist Michael Kanan yielding an enjoyable vocal and piano duet.

The American-Armenian vocalist begins our journey with “Only the Lonely.” Her haunting interpretation of the melody brings out the solitude of the lyrics. The way she leans into the tensions of the chords pulls out the emotions as she glides into resolutions. Kanan’s accompaniment is sensitive as the two move through the song to bring out its emotions and tranquil beauty.

“Easy Street” has a gentile swing, Yeghiazaryan’s articulation adds bounce to her phrases, and her manner of getting into key notes is sensual and styles. She plays with each phrase to give it variations and character, which is the key to this song’s loveliness. Kanan’s solo keeps the swing feel alive as he shows clever patterns through the harmony.

Lonely House is a calming voice and piano duet posed to charm you with its subtle beauty. Yeghiazaryan demonstrates her vocal command on Lonely House, resulting in a satisfying album that, being calm, is still unexpected.