2. Leanna Firestone - Forward / Slash (2022)

Leanna Firestone’s “Forward/Slash” is a thoughtful journey of the ups and downs of life. Leanna’s songwriting style feels as though you’re just having a cozy conversation with her. The stories in the music grab us as listeners and keep us there by being just so relatable. If there is any one word to describe this album it is “honest”, and I think that’s what makes it so charming. There’s no image here that Leanna is trying to project. She’s just telling the true stories of her life in song, and that just feels so cozy and beautiful. From falling in love to losing it, to thinking about the regrets of unrequited love, but still recognizing its inescapable draw. It touches on family struggles, mental health, and uncertainty. This is an album that tugs so tightly on your heartstrings that you can’t help but insert yourself into the narrative somehow. For an even deeper look into the mind of Leanna Firestone, her new EP, “An Evening With Leanna Firestone” is a soft, acoustic session of some of her most thoughtful songs. Definitely give both a listen!