There are few country artists whose co-sign means more than Willie Nelson’s, and singer-songwriter Lily Meola already has the living legend’s stamp of approval. Considered a protégé of Nelson’s, the velvet-voiced Meola was born and raised on Maui but now calls Nashville home, and you can hear just as much of the influence of her island upbringing as you can her love for classic country music on this debut album. “Sleeping with My Boots On” makes that connection evident from the jump, as White Lotus-esque mellotron gives way to a propulsive bassline with a plainly Western bent, giving Meola a textured backdrop for her agile, dynamic voice. “Daisies” is something of a response to ERNEST’s hit “Flower Shops,” but with Meola as the jilted lover on the receiving end of the apologetic arrangements. Nelson himself appears on “Tumbleweeds and Chewing Gum,” lending his inimitable voice to the second verse and adding tasteful rhythm via his famed guitar Trigger, while his son Lukas Nelson duets with Meola on the two-stepping ballad “Mar Vista,” bringing a real family feel to the project. The final collaboration on Lucky to Be features another heavy hitter, as Jamey Johnson brings his rich, celebrated baritone to the soulful closing track “Never Want This to Change.”