Hudson-born Sarah Lou Richards released a new country-pop album in November. After graduating from UW-Eau Claire, SLR moved the Nashville to grow her singer/songwriter career. She uses a diminutive typeface on the album cover of her third release, the woman behind the curtain. This speaks to her amicable yet laden voice, which slinks from cat-like subtlety to a soaring optimistic chorus: “I’m hoping again.” A legion of fans pre-ordered her album through Pledge Music, a direct-to-fan music platform. She sailed past her expected order tally and will be donating 10 percent of all proceeds to Soles4Souls, an anti-poverty organization based in Nashville that provides shoes and clothes to those in need. Giving the album a thorough listen is akin to sitting down for a cup of tea, in the company of a wise, curious older sister. The track “Avery” is a tale of abandonment without blame: “Avery have you gone mad / after all these miles and memories,” forlorn, though not begging, suggesting to a friend: “Don’t you think it’s time you came clean?” Sarah will perform at Revival Records in Eau Claire at 7pm Jan. 30. Learn more about her music at sarahlourichards.com.