Lindsay's vocals are a powerful companion to her songwriting. "In an era when style and trends can become genericana, [Lou] focuses on the song," said No Depression. "It is infectious and joyful, soulful even." The undeniable centerpiece throughout Queen of Time, Lou's voice is a molasses-sweet instrument equally capable of clarion ache, slicing deep into the soul. The daughter of a literal coal-miner and millwright, and the granddaughter of a teacher gone Rainbow Gathering healer, Lou honed her honest and resonant style with her bluegrass-inspired band, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, and Michigan supergroup, Sweet Water Warblers (Rachael Davis, May Erlewine), excavating elements of bluegrass, folk, Americana, and soulful pop for their emotional depths. The Warblers' debut album, The Dream That Holds This Child (2020), was dubbed "a testament to the trio's range" by Billboard, running the gamut of blues, gospel, soul, and Appalachian folk.