Abbie Thomas - Not Gonna Lie (2024)

Abbie Thomas has a new album, Not Gonna Lie, full of piano and instrumentally rich, bluesy songs that skew things in a unique way toward honest, bold, expressions, but without over-the-top showboating. Not Gonna lie is appropriately titled, as the song journey through bold, honest expressions on various times and spaces in life.

“Down For the Ride” opens the album with an optimistic “We’re going slow but we’re going somewhere, I don’t know where but I’m down for the ride.” Sometimes taking it slow is the very best way.

Will Kimbrough contributes with bluesy guitar runs on “Bitch Make the Coffee,” which might make you wince as you unfortunately relate to the sentiment while muted trumpet punctuates. “If I could just keep my mouth shut, I might keep my job. It’s so hard to watch stupidity in action and bite my tongue.”

“Wild and Free” shines a light on a childhood summer running wild and free, while her mom made ends meet without frightening the kids: “Lettuce and Mayo on bread, kept us kids fed / Cut off jean shorts in the summer / Gotta do what you gotta do to cut a corner / Livin’ within our means was a necessity in the summer of ’93.”

“Lettuce and Mayo” is a recorded conversation between Abbie and producer Nate Butler, adding depth and context to the song “Wild and Free.”

“Walkin’ and Talkin'” is a bluesy piano vocal duet with Corey Ronell which is a nice touch. “Not Gonna Lie” is a heavy hitter that takes aim at the trials of love: “loving somebody is harder than doing time, I imagine, ’cause in solitude you only answer to you.” Corey sits in again on this one and it’s grand. “Mid July” adds a lovely, welcome violin and shakers to the range of possibilities in a gentle song.