There are times when an artist is entrancing. Lydia Ramsey is one of those artists. The singer-songwriter from the small town of Indianola, WA made her way to the Seattle music scene and never stopped performing. And now she is releasing her debut solo album, Bandita, on February 15th. This album is brilliantly constructed with tons of folk, Americana and southern country influences that meld seamlessly into a storyteller’s musical odyssey. Lydia Ramsey‘s heritage plays an important role in the creation of Bandita as she dug through her family history she found roots from the southern part of the United States and incorporated it.

The multi-instrumentalist, who also is a part of another stellar Seattle-area band, St. Paul de Vence, grew up around a smattering of musical instruments and it shows throughout the album. Ramsey‘s raw and gritty talent, vocally and instrumentally, permeates the entire body of work and her deftness with an acoustic guitar and banjo are highlights on each track including the debut single, “Ghosts”.

The track taps personal history as the story goes on about two people from different worlds trying take their minds off each other. Obviously that does not work out in the end, as the final lyrics are, “And making love brought them here today…” It is a deep song about loving and longing. “Ghosts” is a wonderful introduction to what Lydia Ramsey has created. And Bandita does not let up on the gas pedal once it starts.

It is going to be one heck of a year for music, if the quality of music stays as high as it has been for 2017 and Ramsey‘s Bandita could be one of the albums that rises to the top in a stacked field, especially in the folk/Americana category. If you are looking for a Pacific Northwest artist that is still under the radar, but should not be, you have found her in Lydia Ramsey.

You can pre-order Bandita by Lydia Ramsey on iTunes now and the full album will be released on February 15, 2017.