Drown Me: A Brief Review Of The New Record From Rose McDowall (Strawberry Switchblade) And Shawn Pinchbeck

The music on the new record from Rose McDowall and Shawn Pinchbeck was intended as a soundtrack. But it is, like the best soundtracks, music that stands on its own regardless of whether a listener has seen the film in question or not. Far From The Apple Tree, out now via Glass Modern, features the kind of evocative soundscapes that haunt a listener. I suppose, given the post-Strawberry Switchblade career or Rose McDowall, that shouldn't be too surprising.

"Forever" is all Eighties-style keyboard chords and Rose's cooing in the background. The number is ominous in the manner of horror scores from the Reagan years, while "Drown Me" is hypnotic and lovely. On this one, there's the faintest hint of a tabla in the background and that, along with the strings and Rose's vocals, works splendidly. "Spirit Flesh", with its nearly-spoken lyrics, is eerie, stark in the manner of something from an ancient era, while "Gem", a single, positively charms. The cut is delicate and yet full of a momentum that enchants. Elsewhere, "Butterfly Hawk" carries things forward with real musical purpose, even as the closer, "Waves", seems timeless. There are lots of pieces here on Far From The Apple Tree that made me think of the earliest recordings of Dead Can Dance, but McDowall and Pinchbeck favor simplicity and a decidedly folk-flavored approach rather than a percussive one. It is that lack of heavy percussion, actually, that gives this whole enterprise a lighter-than-air feel.

Far From The Apple Tree is out now via Glass Modern.

More details on Rose McDowall via her official Facebook page.