Review Summary: Eyes sewn closed
The debut of STITSR ranks among some of the strangest folk music around, if one could even call it folk. The four piece (now duo) brings forth a somber and scatterbrained mass of instrumentation from banjo to zither, spike fiddle, washboard, autoharp, harmonium, slide guitar, chimes and strings that sound like they’re on the verge of breaking. The result is akin to hearing a coven of witches making bizarre incantations in a cave.
Variety is also on display in the singing of Kathleen Baird and Taralie Peterson who spew forth a wide array of vocal styles ranging from demented yelping, moans, cackling, screams, chanting, howls and soft haunting croons. The sounds of which would be quite at home in the hallways of an insane asylum. The songs possess a childlike playfulness and simplicity despite their morose themes and sounds.
The opener "I Am Sewn" sets the tone for the album with ominous cello and mantra-like singing about death and disembodiment. After two breakdowns of violent string plucking it slips into its second half with eerie, aimless intonations. The singing reaches fever pitch on "Leader of Change and the Leader of Within" with Kathleen sounding as if her sanity is slipping away in shrieking bursts. This is accented with light percussion and xylophone giving it some semblance of being a song instead of a cry for help.
"No Fate" and "I Follow You Follow Me" are the only songs resembling levity in all the gloominess but even within their chimes and pumping percussion something is always a bit off. Hints of dark overtones are ever present and reminding you that there will be no happy endings. "Bells Don’t Ring At Night" closes things out in a cacophony of instrumentation and playful cackling yells. All the sounds of the album conglomerate into a noisy mass finishing with a howling coyote-like “ow ow” that briefly echoes before being snuffed out.
Equal parts playful zaniness and bad acid trip STITSR is a must listen for anyone who’s into weird music or who’re just looking for something different, although it might ruin your day if you’re in a happy mood.
