Stevie Nicks Releases First Solo Album in 10 Years

May is shaping up to be a big month for Stevie Nicks. The release of In Your Dreams, her first studio album since 2001’s Trouble in Shangri-La, has sparked a lot of media attention lately, including commentary on her past relationships, old drug addictions and opinions on the current state of pop culture, specifically Lindsay Lohan’s antics.

We’ll start with the album: In Your Dreams, released Tuesday, May 3, comes ten years after Nicks’s previous release. Confirmed in February 2010 by Dave Stewart, guitarist and producer known for his work in the Eurythmics, the album features echoes from the past, and all of the tracks have the feel of great rock classics—Nicks was, after all, a big part of Fleetwood Mac, and the opening track “Secret Love” was actually written for Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumors.

One word used to describe Nicks is “bewitching”—she definitely has mystical presence, and it’s not just because of her earthy-yet-gothic style. The same can be said for her music—In Your Dreams captures her magical appeal, especially on the darker tracks. While there are upbeat rock overtones on many songs, there’s still also an ethereal quality. “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream),” for example, has an upbeat build but opens with echoing vocals and a haunting piano (and yes, it’s inspired by Twilight). Even her album preview is blatantly packed with vampires and ghostly imagery.

Honesty is also a major feature in Nicks’s songs. Both “Secret Love” and “For What It’s Worth” are about affairs she has had as the “other woman,” though instead of apologizing, she simply tells her side of the story from an emotional standpoint.

Nicks also is a chameleon in terms of style. “For What It’s Worth” also features a bit of a country flair, as do the upbeat title track “In Your Dreams” and the peaceful ballad and closer, “Cheaper than Free.” Gospel and more vampire references also adorn “New Orleans,” which is actually one of the few songs that just feel very attention-grabbing, perhaps because the lyrics are too simple and stream of consciousness, simply about wanting to hang out in the city.

Soul, Motown and a bit of country influence are also heavy on “You May Be the One.” Lindsey Buckingham, who was also in Fleetwood Mac with Nicks, then appears in the slow yet suspenseful “Soldier’s Angel,” which also has a heavy gospel sound. Nicks even goes for punchy, driving rock on “Ghosts are Gone,” which may be the heaviest track on the album.

Still, it’s the melancholy in her voice that seems to stand out most. In an interpretation of the Edgar Allan Poe poem “Annabel Lee,” Nicks captures the emotion and tragedy perfectly—the poem is about strong love that lasts beyond the title character’s death. Whether it’s her seasoned nasal voice or the fact that she’s been through hell and back (she’s been to rehab twice in her life for drug addictions), Nicks oozes raw emotions even when she hasn’t written the words.

Speaking of her past troubles, when HLN’s Showbiz Tonight recently brought up that Lindsay Lohan wanted to play Nicks in a biopic, her response wasn’t quite what they expected:

“Yes she does, and she never is going to,” Nicks told the interviewer. “That’s never going to happen, unless she completely cleans up her life and becomes the great actress that I actually feel she can be. It’s not that I don’t like Lindsay Lohan—everybody thinks I hate her, and it’s not that at all. I just want her to get it together. I got it together—I was completely messed up for a long time, and I got it together. She needs to get it together. She’s a very talented girl.”

Celebrity gossip aside, it’s obvious that the ten year break worked out well for Nicks musically. She proves on In Your Dreams that she still has the talent and drive to create great music that spans genres as well as generations (the Twilight connection obviously also can’t hurt her status with the younger crowd, either). The album is a nice glimpse into her personal life as well as an example of great storytelling through song by one of rock’s top female artists.

This article was originally published on AllMediaNY.com