Exactly two years ago we posted a review of Marissa Nadler’s sixth album, July. Earlier this year the talented alt country artist released Strangers. The same spare arrangements and swooning vocal accompany most tracks. The guitar feedback on “Hungry Is The Ghost” is revelatory when placed among the quieter tracks. While the title track is forgettable, the repeated chorus on “Janie In Love” will stick in the head for days.
Where Nadler shines is in the stories that are woven throughout the album that paint pictures as vivid as novels. “Change, change, I got married on a Sunday afternoon” from “All The Colors Of The Dark” is touching vs the darker secrets of spying on the neighbours in “Shadow Show Diane”.
Marissa Nadler’s music is unlike most of her contemporaries. Her music, album covers and videos seem to be from a different time and space. While there is not a lot to differentiate this from her last album, Strangers is another rewarding journey into Nadler’s peculiar world.
7/10
The Light Appears 