Emilie Rex and Rick Alverson of Richmond, Virginia make music that feels like the score to a film. That makes sense given that Rick's a director. And, like any soundtrack you listen to away from the imagery, one gets out of this what you're willing to bring. It's up to you as the listener to fill in the empty spaces here on the duo's new record, Sides.
While lots of this favors a stark sonic landscape punctuated by Emilie's precise and precious vocals, "The Trouble with Being Warm" at least stakes out territory that feels momentarily more accessible. There's the faintest hint of something like an Aimee Mann sense of composition here, but this is so dour as to make Ms. Mann sound like Louis Prima in comparison.
And every cut here is more or less the same in tonal terms. There's little here in the way of a melody, with the cuts, even more ambitious ones like "Marriage of Heaven and Hell" succeeding on limited terms because of rhythmic effects that punctuate the gray cloud of the entire presentation. I realize that the compositions are ones composed as a result of losses in the performers' lives, but even so, one expects at least a little variety. There are impressive moments here, usually involving Emilie's starkly effective vocals, but the music behind her requires a singular investment on the part of a listener that, frankly, I just wasn't prepared to offer. Intellectually, I get it, but nothing here really provided any insight into the loss being explored, nor did I feel like any emotion was even being shared, more than suppressed in front of witnesses. It's like if someone made a record inspired by The Sweet Hereafter. That's the vibe here.
Sides by Lean Year is out today.
[Photo: Lean Year Bandcamp]