Adrianne Lenker - Abysskiss, album review

Folk Like, Surely

This is delicate, sometimes fragile solo acoustic music; contrary at times as in the discordant Out of Your Mind – mimetically so perhaps – though a further divergence within this song is its sweet harmonies. I like that mix of things, and as I have no previous knowing of her work [never listened to Big Thief] it is a pleasing discovery.

I have much re-listening to do I suspect to hear the lyrics that do seem intense – well ‘seems’ is silly as she speaks of her own death in opener Terminal Paradox, the title itself intentionally thoughtful/introspective. The finger-plucked guitar of Cradle is as lullabyish as the title suggests, the drifting vocals of the song over this full of more harmony. Next Symbol is more finger-plucking with a vocal litany over this, until a melody arrives, percussion as simple quick beats, and the poetry is intriguing,

Fly make flea make haste make waste eight makes infinity
Times I've tried to make breaks, embrace for the enemy
Meet my face to face time try to find the diamond
Counting time as time counts me, the river to the island

such sounds as mesmerising as any music. That dissonance emerges again in Blue and Red Horses, and as a liker of prettiness in folk music [this is certainly folk-like, even if overstating because of the solo acoustic core] I have to stifle an innate questioning. And you question ‘folk-like’? Well, listen to following abyss kiss and there it is, the vocal quite folk-pretty, and the guitar playing more developed than elsewhere, though a relative term. I like this. Next What Can You Say is similar as is my response.