As an artist and activist, Zoey Tess is not here to soothe your conscience. On her debut album, ‘There’s Gonna Be a Reckoning’, the Florida-born, Connecticut-raised songwriter delivers a sharp, seven-track jolt that feels less like a traditional LP and more like an emergency broadcast. Released late last month, the record finds Tess standing at the crossroads of '60s folk protest and the jagged emotional architecture of '90s alternative rock, refusing to blink in the face of a fractured national landscape.
Recorded at the Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, New York, the album benefits from an impeccable technical team. Producer Spencer Hattendorf and engineer Paul Antonell have captured an analogue warmth that avoids the trap of sounding like a museum piece, while Mario McNulty’s mixing allows the weight of the lyrics to breathe. From the opening tension of lead single ‘Knocking at Your Front Door’ to the cello-laden depths provided by Dave Eggar, there is a palpable sense of urgency. Zoey describes the project as "extrospective," noting that the songs were born from "conversations with friends and folks from such diverse backgrounds and viewpoints."
While the title track and ‘Children of the USA’ take direct aim at authoritarianism and societal inequality, the album is far from a one-note political screed. It is a nuanced piece of shadow work that balances its biting critiques with moments of profound vulnerability. “Each song speaks to what I’ve seen in society, from religious hypocrisy to gun violence,” Zoey explains, but she also offers “a life raft in this sea of chaos.”
Armed with her biting commentary and a noticeable pedigree in 60s and 70s folk, Zoey uses the album to explore the world, carving out moments of deeply personal musings. Songs like ‘You Just Missed Him’ ache with emotion and defiance, while ‘Stable Ground’ shines with a warmth and grit that lovingly echoes that of the 70s. One of the standout moments, however, comes in the album’s closing moments – an arrangement of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel’. Here, Zoey treats the song as a "lineage claim," using Van Zandt’s poetry to frame life as an unpredictable ride where the cards we are dealt rarely make sense.
It is a bold move to cover one of the greatest songwriters in the American canon, but Zoey has the vocal conviction to pull it off. By leaning into the grit of the human condition, she has created a record that feels remarkably grounded. ‘There’s Gonna Be a Reckoning’ is a heavy, necessary listen that manages to find a sliver of hope amidst the fire.
You can stream the full album today, and for more, be sure to stay up to date with Zoey Tess by following her on Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp.
