On her stunning sophomore album The Void, Taylor Rae lets the floodgates of her soul crash wide open. After years of living on the road and riding the wave of her breakthrough debut Mad Twenties, Rae makes a hard move inward. The result is a personal yet adventurous album that places her on the frontlines of modern Americana.

“The main theme is introspection,” Rae says. “Sometimes it felt like I was staring into the void.” She turned that gaze into 11 revealing songs that chronicle heartbreak, healing, and the hard-won clarity that comes from facing yourself when the lights are off and no else is around.

Produced by Grammy-winner Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce), The Void is as genre-fluid as Rae’s story. There are roadhouse rave-ups, Laurel Canyon shimmer, and alt-rock muscle, all wrapped in a voice that can whisper, wail, and command with equal power. The record unfolds like a confessional travelogue. Rae, a California native turned Austin fixture, filters her journey through soul-searching lyrics and shapeshifting production. The title track opens with quiet acoustic grace before swelling into a Southern storm of piano, slide guitar, and layered harmonies. Then comes “Maybe I’m The Villain,” a searing blast of blues-rock that trades folk tenderness for fire and distortion. On “Cologne,” she channels Sheryl Crow and Robert Plant, evoking longing with every groove-soaked note. “Hi” flirts with reggae rhythms and romantic escape, while “Trapped” sinks into the psychic residue of a toxic ex. “Undertone,” with its haunting organ and subtle EDM nods, pulls Rae into murkier emotional territory. Finally, there’s “The Airport Song,” which closes the album with field recordings and reflections on the toll of constant touring.

If Mad Twenties introduced Taylor Rae to the world, The Void finds her fully formed. It’s vulnerable yet fearless, steeped in the past but confidently guiding her into her future. “I wrote this record about an incredibly trying period in my life,” she says, “but I’m coming out of that void now.” And she’s emerged with what could be one of the most compelling Americana records of the year.