Fans of Anne McCue’s past records may be a little surprised at what they hear on her latest. While she’s always been an accomplished guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, the emphasis has mostly been on blues-tinged rock. Here, jazz rules the day and her guitar playing is a big part of that.

In fact, McCue plays all the guitars on the album. From the Django-esque fills and solo of the opener, “Dig Two Graves,” to the light swing that closes the record on the title cut, she proves more than adept at this style of music.

Her writing has never been crisper as she covers territory that might be more likely to bring Hoagy Carmichael to mind than a young female writer associated with the rock world. It’s music that recalls a bygone era, but comes across as timeless.

The songs are lyrically smart with the words fitting the feel of the song whether it’s the swing of “It Wasn’t Even Fun While It Lasted” or the stomp of “Little White Cat.”

McCue certainly has several ways to continue on musically, but she’s now proven she’s as versatile and talented an artist as you’re likely to find these days.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s May ’15 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.