Julie Loyd: All That You Ask For

Julie Loyd lists Ani DiFranco as one of her major influences, and after listening to Loyd’s new live album, All That You Ask For, one can see the indelible influence that the feminist folk rocker has had on this young artist. At 24 years old, Loyd’s brand of acoustic folk is stripped down and passionate. Although there is an aspect of dorm room naiveté to her lyrics, there are moments of honesty that are both genuine and revealing (which is oddly refreshing in a world of pretentious indie rock). Throughout the album, Loyd personifies fate, laments her lack of sleep, hints that she’s not “normal”, and pleads, “It’s my birthday, and you are not what I asked for”. All these precious little moments are set to the backdrop of a simple yet emphatically strummed acoustic guitar. Loyd has the unmistakably allure of your local coffee shop songstress, and All That You Ask For presents us with a portrait of the artist in a live format, giving the illusion that we are standing in the crowd, sipping coffee with a dozen or so other fans. Although she exudes some adolescent angst on the album, her songs are ultimately enjoyable and make you want to leaf through old photos of your ex-boyfriends (or girlfriends) and reminisce. Another latte, please!