It was about two years ago that Spellling released her last album. That one earned very high praise from me, and while some of the new record is of that level, it's quite a different sort of release. Billed to Spellling and The Mystery School, Spellling and The Mystery School imagines a more straightforward (in spots) approach. And your enjoyment of this will depend largely on how you as a listener adapt to a less dense sound.
Chrystia Cabra is Spellling and ultimately it is her vision which fuels this material. Her decision to make things a bit more accessible is to be commended, though I feel like a little mystery has been lost (despite the name of the record). The piano-centered "Under the Sun" is a lush gem, while "Cherry" is more languid. "Haunted Water" strides forward with a sort of graceful confidence, while the throwback soul-influenced flavors of "Phantom Farewell" purr with promise. There's no denying the command Cabra has of this stuff. Still, I was hoping for something with the borderline hypnotic appeal of her last album.
That said, Spellling and The Mystery School hits a sort of stride in its final stretch. "Always" and "Revolution" take different paths with a piano hook at the center of each. The superb "Sweet Talk" builds with real emotional heft. Chrystia Cabra has a vision here, and I only wish more of the tracks on this 2023 offering had the kind of power this third of the record had for me. But still, there's no one else out there who sounds like this, and even a modest step in a different direction this time around isn't enough to change the overall appeal of Spellling's unique style of music.
Spellling and The Mystery School is released this week via Sacred Bones.
[Photo: Sarah Eiseman]