Runaway's Diary

Amy LaVere believes in the importance of community. For 2014’s Runaway’s Diary, she signed up North Mississippi All-Star Luther Dickinson to produce. His late father, Jim Dickinson, had produced her 2007 album Anchors and Anvils. Here, the dependable backup group includes Luther and guitarist Will Sexton, keyboardist Tim Regan, and drummers Sharde Thomas and Shawn Zorn, with LaVere handling the bass. A true Southern songwriter, LaVere composed eight of the album’s tracks, adding Townes Van Zandt’s “Where I Lead Me,” John Lennon’s “How?,” Ned Miller’s “Dark Moon," and local Memphis songwriter Mike McCarthy’s “Lousy Pretender” to complete her thoughts. A rockabilly sense flows through the record, with “Self Made Orphan” bringing its contrast of personal emotional baggage and carefree jubilance together as one. She then applies that trick to Van Zandt’s sorrowful pleas. A visit to the piano for “Snowflake” represents her pensive side; a single tom-tom provides the austere rhythm. The album's autobiographical nature is largely counterbalanced by arrangements that refuse to lapse into self-pity.