Tuesday, May 2, 2017

#2437 Sophia Kennedy - Sophia Kennedy

A deadly trap for the avid music listener in 2017.

A clever, snaking album that defies comparison to any easy landmark, footholds only in the un-pin-downable, in Eleanor Friedberger, Max Tundra, Stephin Merritt, Laurie Anderson - those who would drag every ancient pop song structure through countless modern wringers until it lies gasping and unrecognizable. 

A sweeping piece of songcraft in the jazz//tinpan tradition, utterly out of step, and chopped to bits by a reckless robot hand, dabbling in samplerism, ambience, and worse.

A bewildering, fascinating listen, packed with clever moves and melodies and turns of phrase, undercut by its strangeness, its scarce willingness find common ground, its defiance keeping you at stiff arm's length, making you put in the work.

Worth it, I think, I say, hamstrung 4/5

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