published: 29 /
5 /
2010
Label:
Silber Music
Format: CD
Hushed and nocturnal meanderings on death on second album from San Francisco-based musician, Sarah June
Review
A whispered husky 1 ... 2 ... 3 leads in Sarah June’s sophomore album ‘In Black Robes’, and the hushed feel runs through much of the album. ‘Robes’ was recorded in June’s apartment and sounds like it - the echo of high ceilings, June’s girlish voice and spare, stop-start acoustic guitar give an intimate feel to 13 songs full of dark thoughts and jazzy overtones.
Death stalks through the album, but is treated without the usual melancholy.
The doomy ‘Crossbones in Your Eyes’ turns the prospect of death into a jaunty dance of skeletons, ‘Judgment Day’ shrugs at the apocalypse. On ‘The Reaper’ June’s fingersnapping underlies her insouciance towards an acquaintance’s death.
Even the songs that aren’t directly about death or dying are getting close to the final curtain call of ‘The Reaper’ or skeletons seem to pop up in every tune.
‘Brand of Bitterness’ switches the guitar to some brushed percussion and bass. "Peel the label off my bottle of regrets," June trills while obliquely wishing for some unhappiness to befall whoever caused them.
‘Paper Lantern’ speculates on what she’ll become as she ages. Like opener ‘Cowboy’, a collection of apparently random musings, the title is only a sidelong reference to the tune’s lyrics - will her voice shake like a paper lantern when she grows old?
As the album comes to a close she tackles ‘Sally Go Round the Roses’ - the oft-covered hit by girl group the Jaynetts, and makes it sound more than usual like a sotto voce threat.
Fans of Marissa Nadler and Eleni Mandell should both find something to enjoy in June’s nocturnal meanderings.
Track Listing:-
1
Cowboy
2
Crossbones in Your Eyes
3
Judgment Day
4
From My Window High
5
The Reaper
6
Bluesy Melody
7
Brand ofBitterness
8
Paper Lantern
9
In Your Chevrolet
10
Motown
11
Sally Go Round the Roses
12
Fencepost
13
Til You Hit the Pavement