The music of Josephine Foster succeeds almost as much for the empty spaces within it as the actual notes played. The American artist's work blends a sort of modern classical with hints of folk, and the sensibility of minimalism. Maybe her new record isn't a minimalist one as much as a naturalistic one? Whatever you call it, Domestic Sphere will charm an attentive listener.
Things slowly open up here, with the guitar-plucks of "Dawn of Time" serving to anchor the first song proper on Domestic Sphere. The mesmeric "Burnt Offerings" uses the sounds of nature -- grasshoppers? -- to create a gentle drone underpinning Foster's coos and whispers. The effect is borderline hypnotic, and the track is a clear highlight of this new record. Elsewhere, "Remiscence" nearly floats away, while the eerie "Haunted House" recalls mid-Nineties selections from His Name is Alive. Josephine Foster is adept at conjuring a mood by subtraction, stripping back these offerings so that what remains is sure to transfix. It works, as Domestic Sphere is a mood and a genre unto itself.
Domestic Sphere by Josephine Foster is out on Friday via Fire Records.
[Photo: Alex Branch]