Record Revue: Deblois – Cut and Run

When you hear Deblois rip into the title track, you get the very clear sense she’s lived so much life. Her voice is perfectly imperfect and world-weary, excavated from the earth, but it carries a special kind of warmth. There’s a coarseness to it, too, that shakes you and won’t let go. Deblois sketches her new record, Cut and Run, with a box of colored pencils she’s had for decades. They’re a little worse for wear, but their colors are still vibrant. It’s that spirit that pushes the eight tracks through the stratosphere.

In 2026, we need honest, human songwriting that speaks to the unique experience of existence and navigating a troubled world. Good or bad, we only get this one life. And for folks like Deblois, they’re making every second count. “I come all this way, chasing a wild goose,” she crows in “Wild Goose,” the follow-up tumbler to the tone-setting opener. Her guitar moans behind her, as though it’s its own creature, slithering and rolling around in the mud.

“Watching Empires Fall” rises as Deblois’ crown jewel. She wraps her voice around a poppy melody that she’s resurrected from the 1990s pop scene (think: Tori Amos). Over its giddy-up guitar structure, she laments the flood of AI music and the prevalence of evil houses casting dark, sorrowful shadows over everyday Americans. “AI is gonna take our jobs, and I don’t like it,” she sings. “But I don’t wanna be in charge.” She’s a warrior both in presence and daring to cut deep into our culture. The songwriting speaks for itself, but when paired with her striking vocals, songs like “Watching Empires Fall” feel much grander than they otherwise would be.

Cut and Run riplines from feeling wonderfully akin to an Allison Moorer record to barreling down the street built by classic songwriters like Sheryl Crow. Deblois transmits her own voice, of course, through visceral storytelling packed like a vintage photo album bursting with memories but now collecting dust on the shelf. Her understanding of human nature makes her tales about “The Heron and the Cardinal” and the rain “soaking into the grateful ground,” as she relates in “Let the Way Be Peace,” feel earnest and unapologetic. Deblois flutters across Cut and Run, quite a surprising release, indicating we need her voice now more than ever.

Cut and Run is out now.

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