You, Anniversary
Lindsay Fuller
ATO Records.
SCQ Rating: 68%
The title track of
Lindsay Fuller’s third release takes inspiration from the poetry of W.S. Merwin
and particularly the anniversary of one’s own death, and how it passes annually
without our awareness or foresight. If you’d prefer not to dwell on that notion,
well you may as well stop reading now. But for those among us who enjoy their
gritty folk rock tossed with unhealthy doses of gothic wonder, You, Anniversary
is a must-listen.
Opening track
“Everything I Ever Had” crashes down with the offbeat grace of Ryan Adams’
Heartbreaker period as Fuller declares “Lost my mind when I met you”. The
warmth of musicianship that overshadows Fuller’s morbid fascinations eventually
wanes over venom-filled vignettes (“Grey Gardens”, “Circa Never”) and the
occasional Nick Cave dirge (“Libby”). Some of You, Anniversary is scathing,
sure, but even when her skeletons are out of the closet, Fuller’s vocal command
has the capacity to turn the frightening into something existentially
celebratory.
Like a razor-sharp
Emmylou Harris, Lindsay Fuller showcases a lot of strengths, both vocally and
with regards to the dark folk arrangements carved out alongside her session
players. Still, You, Anniversary stands tallest when occupying the full tenets
of shadow-play by letting some shafts of light in.
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