Marissa Nadler - Bird On The Water
The first thing you notice on Marissa Nadler's debut is her beautiful, soft,
dreamy and magical voice.
It fills every corner of Bird on the Water and blends perfectly with an
album full of fantasy.
The softness, the delicate pronunciation, the gently picked guitar, the
enchanting mandolin. You can lie there for hours, listening.
The third offering from New York based Nadler is one of pure silk, although
not all sweetness. The echoing seascape sounds of Dying Breed are quite
eerie, as are the lyrics of taking bones or the later Bird on your Grave. It
has a sinister edge.
Its darkness is miles away from other sunnier Peacefrog recent releases
like
Jose Gonzalez, but is her most beautiful release to date.
The album haunts, with its slow, rocking pace and its melancholic cello and
magical harp. It is the soundtrack to a walk in a mystical, snow-covered
forest. Sylvia, with its I met you in the belly of a whale lyrics, and
Leather Made Shoes are two of many gems, bringing out the best of Nadlers
bluesy, folky and gothic voice, as special as a Jolie Holland, a softer Joni
or a darker Isobel Campbell.
(review written by gemma hampson)