Allison Russell’s 2021 solo debut, Outside Child, swept a rejuvenating call to healing, even as it confronted a hard history of trauma. The Canadian songwriter’s shows evolved into a powerful platform for community building, and new album, The Returner, infuses that intensely inclusive focus with a sense of celebratory joy. With her powerhouse band, the former member of Po’ Girl and Our Native Daughters shifts from poetic folk roots into soul-shaking beats and rhythms, unrolling a propulsive energy and empowerment while still fearlessly staring down injustice and wounds.
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— Doug Freeman
