January 2018 events calendar for Chicago

Predictably, 19-year-old indie-rock wunderkind Lindsey Jordan writes from the perspective of a teenager, but there's a clarity and confidence to her lyricism that transcends her age. The songs that populate her debut album, Lush, are relatable to anyone who grew up in a small town, yearned for new horizons and grappled with the looming transition into adulthood. Backed by stabbing guitars or tranquil riffs, Jordan captures the uncertainty and excitement of figuring out who you are and who you will be, one ballad at a time.

Young Long Island duo the Lemon Twigs don't just look like they've stepped out of another era; the pair's conceptual new album Go to School harkens back to a time when sprawling rock operas outfitted with orchestral arrangements and whimsical narratives were in vogue. Thankfully, Brian and Michael D'Addario have the chops to compellingly deliver a collection of songs about a monkey that goes to school, unabashedly mining the classic rock tropes attributed to the Beatles, Big Star and the Beach Boys.  

Hailing from Texas, singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves made a name for herself with twangy tunes about small-town living, romance and staying true to yourself. On Golden Hour, Musgraves frequently moves beyond country music, experimenting with bouncy disco arrangements and vocoder-aided vocal melodies that exhibit her usual pristine pop sensibilities. The catchy hooks and harmonies are infectious, but the most striking element of Musgraves' music is its raw emotional honesty.