Weekly Release Spotlight: Widowspeak
Posted on 10/02/2011
Widowspeak
Widowspeak
Captured Tracks
Widowspeak
Captured Tracks
For any new band, there is an immediate urge to compare their similarities to every other band with a similar sound rather than highlighting what makes them unique. For Widowspeak, these comparisons are mostly made with Mazzy Star. It’s an easy early comparison. Front woman Molly Hamilton croons and sighs throughout Widowspeak’s self-titled debut much like Hope Sandoval, most noticeably on “Nightcrawlers.” The band recalls the sound of early 90’s shoegazing bands like the aforementioned Mazzy Star, Lush, Mean Red Spiders, and other pioneers of the genre. For a band often labeled as “indie-pop,” the drone, ambience, and sorrowful tone are significant, a phenomenon that has befallen Washed Out and St. Vincent this year as well.
However, give credit where credit is due. Widowspeak has differentiated themselves substantially. They show a surprising amount of maturity on their debut album. Lyrics are deep and tragic. On “Harsh Realm” the lyrics mourn, broken-hearted, for a lost love, “Last night I thought of you/ Years ago, when bodies grew/ An empty home/ A vacant Hell” It often takes great bands several years and multiple releases to accomplish the depth reached in Widowspeak. The maturity isn’t limited to just the lyrics either.
The instrumentation accentuates the beautiful whispering vocals with in a minimalistic, less is more, fashion. Widowspeak avoids the trend of synths so many other New York based groups have employed recently. Using the power trio formation of vocals, guitars, and drums, Widowspeak go even further minimalistic than contemporaries Crystal Stilts. This approach puts a focus on the sound that isn’t there as much as the sound that is. The ambience creates an atmospheric quality that begs the listener to close their eyes and experience – to be moved by the music. Despite a runtime of only 33 minutes, Widowspeak is an with enough content to be listened to intently and often; it’s an album fans are certain to listen to and dissect repeatedly until the band’s sure to be highly anticipated second release.
Stream: "Puritan"