St. Vincent - St. Vincent

I've been a fan of St. Vincent since Marry Me first came out.  With each album, she has tried something different, while still sounding like no one but herself.  She takes risks, but still maintains her sound.  I never know what I'm going to get with a new St. Vincent album, but I know it'll be different, and I know I will love it.

This album is no different.  It's heavier on synths than her past albums, and that bothered me a bit at first.  She's an amazing guitarist, so I scowled a bit at the thought of synths overshadowing her guitars.  But it didn't take me too long to get rid of that line of thinking.  The arrangements are so dense and interesting that they drew me in (and there still is plenty of guitar here, it just doesn't feel like the focal instrument).
And, of course, her voice is in the middle of it all.  She has a beautifully subtle way of singing.  It's a powerful instrument, but she knows exactly when to dial it back.  There's a great warmth in her voice.

At this state, I don't think there's anything she could do that I would hate.  I already love this album, and am excited to see what she does next.

Rating: 5/5
Favorite track: "Huey Newton"

Marissa Nadler - July

Is it snowing where you are?  I'm assuming your answer is "yes", because it's snowing everywhere right now.  For me, there's currently about 4 inches of snow on the ground and some freezing rain tonight.

There are some albums that lend themselves to listening to them when snow is falling, and this is one of them (in fact, pretty much any album in Nadler's discography fits that description).  Absolutely beautiful.  Terrific instrumentation, and her voice just seems to float over the music.  I have loved her for a long time, and this is probably her best album.  Grab it and listen to it before all the snow melts.

Favorite track: "Was it a Dream"



Also a huge fan of the opener, "Drive"