The Medicine Show (LP)
Melissa Etheridge
Amoeba Review
08/31/2020
The indomitable Melissa Etheridge returns with her first album of originals since 2014. Her rich voice and guitar chops are as potent as ever, and emotions run strong on this new collection of songs – not the least in “Last Hello,” a poignant tribute to the survivors of the Parkland school shooting. “Wild And Lonely” is a powerful single, with strong dynamics and an anthemic chorus. “Faded by Design” is folkier but with a hint of outlaw country. The album's themes touch on healing, renewal, and reckoning with troubled times in the U.S., including the opioid crisis.