This album starts off with “For My Crimes”, a very warm, dreary Folk ballad with Marissa sounding a little more heartbroken than usual. But hey, did anyone expect anything else? Now, Marissa has dealt with some very dark and morbid topics since her debut, but over the years she’s gotten closer to home than ever. And the result is one of Marissa’s most heartbreaking, heavier tunes in years. We also get some backing vocals here from Angel Olsen, and alongside this incredibly vast instrumental palette filled with overpowering strings, Marissa seems to be picking up right where she left off with her last album. It’s emotional, beautiful, chilling, and one hell of an intro. “I Can’t Listen to Gene Clark Anymore” however is a little more straightforward, not focusing as much on atmosphere. To be honest, if it wasn’t for Marissa’s very haunting melodies, I would probably think this was another artists. For the most part, this is a really sweet, dreary ballad fueled by loneliness and heartbreak. And between Marissa and some guest vocals from Sharon Van Etten, this one comes off really decent amongst the themes of the album. Now, like I said, this one doesn’t have as much of an atmosphere, and that does take a little from this. But still, this one is beautiful and haunting. “Are You Really Going to Move to the South?” is just as warm, but a little more intimate. I do enjoy some of the guests on this album, but sometimes it’s just nice to hear Marissa on her own. And that’s exactly what we get here, and this album does continue to be an absolute monster as far as emotion and heartache go. But why do I just get the feeling that Marissa is holding back on us? I feel like, over the years, she’s gotten so much better at execution and atmosphere, and this just isn’t her best work. But “Lover Release Me” puts things back in the right directions. This is an absolutely heavenly, chilling tune that’s full of emotion. It still has the same sort of heartbreak that Marissa has been dishing out on this album. But this one is just so much more gutting. Alongside this much more ethereal atmosphere, Marissa just sounds so much more at home. I feel like with so many of these bars, it sounds like Marissa is talking to a lover, sometimes begging him not to go, sometimes begging him to go. It’s a very haunting track that will stick with you long after it’s over, like a whole lot of the material here.
Of all the tracks here, “Blue Vapor” speaks to me the most. This seems like the biggest progression of the bunch for Marissa. Between that immense atmosphere and the gigantic instrumental, this is absolutely jaw-dropping. And of course, Marissa’s performance here is easily her most pained here, making for one hell of a track. Marissa seems to be at an entirely different place entirely than her last album. Like, her last album seemed to be looking at love from a distance. But with “Blue Vapor”, Marissa is living through all of its highs and lows. Not to mention the instrumental here is just so hypnotizing between those lone strings and the simple yet so effective drums and guitars. Marissa continues to write Folk music that is absolutely gut-wrenching. “Interlocking” on the other hand is the most immediate and interesting change of pace here. This has been a very somber album, fueled by heartache and often desperation. But this is the first time that Marissa has brought in an almost Bluesy tone to it. And my friends, it is freakin’ awesome. I honestly wouldn’t mind hearing more of this, and I love Marissa’s almost dangerous production. It’s chilling honestly, and the subtle yet effective strings and guitars in the background add tons. It’s one of the simpler tracks here honestly, with not nearly anything as elaborate a what Marissa was doing on “Strangers”. But it’s easily just as effective, and this is easily one of the most memorable tracks of the bunch. “All Out of Catastrophes” on the other hand seems like Marissa at her most straightforward, which usually I wouldn’t be waving my arms about. But her incredible, husky performance on this one is one of her most memorable vocal performances of the bunch. I love the throwback vibe to the storytelling here, as Marissa continues to be getting more and more personal with each passing moment. It’s an incredibly beautiful, tragic, and heartbreaking tune, but I’ve come to expect nothing less. This album has taken off in a big way since it’s sort of shaky start, and “Dream Dream Big in the Sky” is the breathiest and most dreamy yet. Which, yea, if you’re not into that you won’t be into this. And to be honest, this isn’t Marissa’s strongest from a songwriting standpoint. But this is still very charming and a sweet folk ballad. Not to mention, there’s a very timeless feel to this in the weeping guitars and just how emotional Marissa’s performance is.
“You’re Only Harmless When You Sleep” on the other hand, is a stripped down throwback for Marissa, almost coming off like some of her earlier material. It comes off almost like a traditional cover with some very dark undertones. But man, it’s incredibly effective for Marissa. It’s got an old-school Singer Songwriter vibe to it, but once again the star is Marissa’s absolutely heartbreaking performance. “Flame Thrower” is much warmer and inviting, even if once again I’m not as wild about Marissa’s songwriting here. It’s not the worst thing I’ve heard her pull off, but she’s certainly pulled out better performances in the past. But her performances continue to be absolutely angelic, and despite this tracks dreary tone she ends up reeling you in. Plus, I have to say, after just how many tracks on here that have seen Marissa be on the defensive, it’s charming to see her return with something more fired up, no pun intended. Marissa ends off this album with “Said Goodbye to That Car”, and it’s on a charming note. One thing that this album absolutely succeeds where “Strangers” fell a little short is Marissa’s much more personal approach. That album at times, seemed like a storybook, with Marissa narrating it. But with “For My Crimes”, Marissa just seems so much more up front. And this is honestly a wonderful note to end this album off on. Yea, it’s not exactly the heaviest track, and it may not have that same ambiance as most of this album. But shit man, I can’t help but sit here wide-eyed wanting another track or two.
Rating: 8.3/10
Give A Listen To: “For My Crimes”, “Lover Release Me”, “Blue Vapor”, “Interlocking”
Least Favorite Track: “Are You Really Going to Move to the South?"
Genre: Folk / Indie Folk
Overall Thoughts: Marissa Nadler returns after 2 years, following up one of her most instrumentally sound and ethereal albums to date. And in every way, this is the next logical step for the Indie Folk songstress. It’s just as heavy as far as atmosphere goes, and is just as haunting. And as far as vocals go, call me nuts, but Marissa just sounds more incredible with age. This album has a little bit of a rocky start with some tracks where I think Marissa’s songwriting is iffy. But she makes up for it with a slew of her dreariest, most heartbroken and personal songs to date. It’s chilling, it’s dreamy, it’s beautiful, and it’s an
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