MARISSA NADLER
July
Bella Union/[PIAS]
Here’s one for the downtrodden romantics.
Boston’s Marissa Nadler is an example of an artist who has no bad albums – no small feat, seven records into a career. If you love one of her quality collections of introspective folk, you’ll love them all. Her new album, July, continues the streak.
There are a few surprising musical flourishes on this outing; the synth in Dead City Emily, the orchestral flourishes and blues guitar of Was It A Dream, the dual guitar in Holiday In. But for the most part, the star of the show is Nadler’s voice, with good reason. Her voice is incredibly striking and inherently sad – even if she were recounting the best day of her life, it would still sound like a loved one had just passed. Couple this with her ever-mournful lyrics, and there’s not much in the way of levity. A small sample: ‘If you don’t make it now, you’re never going to make it; ‘Maybe it’s the weather / But I’ve got nothing in my heart’.
Not exactly a party-starter, but for those with a heavy heart, Marissa Nadler and July will ease the pain.
LEONARDO SILVESTRINI
