Premiere: Ruby Force, ‘Damn Your Love’

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Ruby Force (Photo by Casey Curry)
Ruby Force (Photo by Casey Curry)

Ruby Force’s debut album is titled “Evolutionary War,” but it’s as clear as her sky-blue vocals that the L.A. country singer — real name Erin McLaughlin — is better at the art of negotiation that doing battle. At turns wistful, playful and, yes, forceful, she unveils her musical diary entries with easy melodicism, comfortable stylistic shifts and palpable conviction and poise. The work of Nikki Lane, Jenny Lewis and Kacey Musgraves are touchstones here.

The album, out Friday, was made with a formidable cast of collaborators, including Elijah Thomson (the current bassist for Father John Misty, whose associations include Everest and Delta Spirit), Richard Swift (who’s produced for the Shins, Damien Jurado, David Bazan, Foxygen and many others), Frank Lenz (Pedro The Lion) and Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek). The latest single is “Damn Your Love,” an organ-drenched ballad about a reluctant parting of the ways; “I am walking away / but I don’t want to,” she sings, but in the context of the album, you know she’s going to be just fine.

||| Stream: “Damn Your Love”

||| Also: Stream “Ode to Vic Chesnutt” and “Cowboy”

||| Also: Watch the video for “Cowboy”

||| Live: Ruby Force celebrates her album release with a show Saturday night at the Hotel Café. Tickets. She also performs July 17 at the Wayfarer and Aug. 13 at Grand Ole Echo at the Echo.