JUANITA STEIN: America (Nude)

STEIN steps away from her day job fronting the Aussie indie band Howling Bells to explore ‘the dark heart of America’ on a downbeat solo debut. There’s an Americana-bynumbers feel to the opening cowboy tunes, but Stein finds her natural, smoky voice on It’s All Wrong and Cry, a torch ballad worthy of Lana Del Rey. ★★★✩✩ A.T.