Feathers member Asa Irons sat down with childhood friend Swaan Miller and recorded these nine songs "in an abandoned yellow bathroom in the basement of a large building" back in 2003. Why they sat on the material all this time is beyond me, but there is undoubtedly a lot in it for lovers of spare acoustic guitar/vocals music to enjoy. While it has the dirge-like leanings of David Thomas Broughton, nothing here is quite so bracing. This is still and starkly rendered music well-suited for life's muted fascinations. Broughton's material held something approaching catharsis. Irons' songs are more pleasantly stirring than emotionally jarring. It's all rather morose, but often mesmerizing in its calmly trance-inducing traditional folk song repetitions.
Instead of harmonizing, Miller and Irons just sing the same melodies at high/low registers. This would be kind of a bland approach if their voices didn't work so well together. Yet she works better on some songs than others. In the grips of the stun brought on by "The Wounded Grouse," the directness of the vocal arrangements (along with some call and response) reigns supreme. On the fey, predictable melody of the following track, "Whit Will," the high-low approach feels kinda flimsy. A couple of the albums best tracks don't feature Miller at all, though her average voice is no less familiar sounding than Irons.
It's important to note that the inherent strength of this album is not one of novelty, but of earnest meditation. These songs as written may not be earth-shattering, but there's something charming about musicians striving for pureness through a stripped-down approach. I've no doubt that if M. Ward or other roots-music-influenced artists took a similar tack it would yield something worthwhile. Wouldn't it be great to hear a handful of songs with just Neko Case and a guitar? This manner of recording can really let you experience a performer as a vessel for transcendence instead of just some untouchable powerhouse (not that there's anything wrong with that).
It's not easy to sell the things that make this album good. This may have something to do with why it was shelved for four years. It's just plain and lovely music in the business of trying to stop time with unencumbered songs. The lyrics drop hints at subject matter, but mostly just sketch in minor swathes of chilly scenes and resigned musing. They feel vague and unfinished when read, but seem to serve their purpose when sung. Perhaps these tunes could be sold as music for people who have a lot baggage but don't always need to be carrying all of it. Sometimes the drift between the breezy synergies of the evening and the cold light of day can be as nourishing as it is dread-inducing. In this sense, Asa Irons & Swaan Miller sticks to your bones.
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