Heron Oblivion, Heather Woods Broderick, The Lavender Flu
Recommended
The first thing that stands out in Heron Oblivion's music is the starkly beautiful voice emanating from drummer/vocalist Meg Baird. It soon becomes clear that these lilting tones are merely an introduction to the tortured interplay between guitarists Noel Von Harmonson and Charlie Saufley. While Baird and bassist Ethan Miller put down simple, earthy rhythms, Von Harmonson and Saufley take turns shooting fire and ice through increasingly stretched amplification while the strings on their instruments scream and cry with strangled emotion. Like the Cowboy Junkies residing in a Crazy Horse netherworld, or perhaps J Mascis producing a young Jefferson Airplane, Heron Oblivion's music balances perfectly between heaven and pain, transforming minimalist melancholy into an ecstatic siren call. The overall result is an atmospheric meditation worthy of the highest praise. CHRIS SUTTON