Caitlin Cannon explores love in its many forms on ‘Love Addict’

Recommended Tracks: “Love Addict,” “Jesus Is My Lover,” “Room 309”
Artists You Might Like: Christina Martin, Sandy Bailey, Nora Jane Struthers

Hailed by Saving Country Music as “a songwriter for the broken” who sings about topics that “most other songwriters don’t have the guts to broach,” Caitlin Cannon helps others feel seen in her music. She can touch on subjects like loss and addiction with grace, even incorporating some humor and wit when appropriate. At the same time, she throws herself into exciting creative spaces, ensuring that her artistry will never get tired or pushed aside. Her new album, Love Addict, is her boldest work to date, blending Americana and country with intergalactic elements to form a celestial soundscape that the press calls “cosmicana.” Still, this refreshing sound is paired with Caitlin’s relatable songwriting, taking us on a journey full of passion, hurt, and other incessant emotions.

On Love Addict, Caitlin explores the dynamics of passion and desire. She tells us about a late-night rendezvous on the title track, which begins with her showing up at the guy’s hotel “in nothing but a jacket and some fuck-me shoes.” Her sultry vocals and frisky lyrics lead the way as she goes on to admit, “I know all about the consequence of / Getting into bed with you / My heart is saying I don’t need that shit / But all of my body is saying I do.” On “Jesus Is My Lover,” Caitlin continues the narrative by playfully fawning over a guy she spent a night with. She puts this guy on a pedestal, singing, “Yes, he loves me, this I know / He sent a sacred text to tell me so,” and claims that she will forever wait for him to come back from the “business” trip he went on because what they have is real. Still, there are those hook-ups that really do mean more than just appeasing a desire, which we hear on “Room 309.” On this star-crossed ballad, Caitlin shares a story about two musicians who were in the right place at the right time. One of these musicians is “a big-shot superstar,” while the other is “a singer in a bar.” They end up retreating to “room 309” for the night, which ends up making an impact that neither could have anticipated.

Elsewhere on the album, themes of distance and separation come into play. Instead of going to the next level with someone, Caitlin decides to back off on “I Wouldn’t Say I Love You.” Over the easy-going strings and mellow beats, Caitlin invokes a sense of relaxation as she explains her reasoning for not wanting to pursue a romantic relationship. With tender vocals, she sings, “If you said you loved me / I wouldn’t wanna know what that could mean / Once the word is said / It’s the beginning of the end.” She does not want this relationship to go south, which inevitably happens on “You’re Losing Me.” Throughout the track, she watches as behaviors change, singing, “When I walk into the room / Don’t look up and notice the way that you used to” and “Take all day to reply / And don’t ask about where I went last night.” Listeners can hear from her vocals that she wants more. Of course, it is devastating to watch love fall apart, no matter if you are causing the problem or not. Caitlin expands upon this idea on “Let It Hurt Some,” where she wants to embrace the pain in whatever form it comes. Its slow and steady pace and simple melodies help to numb the hurt as Caitlin sings, “I can’t change your mind / But you could ease the burden / If you’re moving on / I hope you’ll let it hurt some.” She also adds, “And if you never gave a damn / Help me let go of what I never had,” hoping that pure denial will make it easier to let go.

Amongst these relationship reflections are songs that focus on perspective. There is a dreamy quality to “The Impact,” which makes allusions to drifting and testing gravity. Listeners will feel as if they are floating along with Caitlin as she attempts to make sense of her surroundings, neither of us knowing where she will end up. She seems to come into her own, however, on “My Own Company.” At first, she struggles with who she is, admitting, “I know I didn’t turn out to be / The girl of your dreams / But lately it’s hard to keep / My own company.” Whether she is speaking to someone else or to herself, the message is the same, and we feel glad for her to realize that she is all she needs by the end of the song. From there, we arrive at the closing track, “Waiting.” This is the most stripped-back of the songs on the album, where we just hear Caitlin’s tender voice and the guitar. The track follows the story of two people who never link up at the right moment, either “waiting till things are less complicated” or waiting “to get out of that hell I was caged in.” It is a bittersweet close to the album, but reminds fans that life is too short to not fully pursue.

In the end, Love Addict upholds Caitlin’s reputation for crafting insightful and timeless songs. Lyrically, she goes beyond the surface of standard themes like love and loss, giving us unique perspectives of pure passion or stunning disbelief. Musically, the album caters to a classic country and Americana sound with harmonicas and pedal steel guitars but also weaves atmospheric grooves and rhythms. These elements take the songs to an innovative place while boldly bringing Caitlin into a compelling new chapter. Overall, Love Addict is more than its title implies, more than just a collection of songs that showcase a constant need for love—it is a fully formed look at the way that love can evolve.

You can listen to Love Addict here.

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