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sally ruth fletcher | austin, tx | 02/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a very different yet wonderful record and it is surprising to me that it is still more or less undiscovered despite the intriguing story line regarding the lead artist. It seems to me that the first two reviews were probably spoofs, submitted I suspect by anonymous pranksters who are somehow connected to the wild speculative comments on the Leena Marsh bulletin board (...). I may be wrong, but I suspect tht they get off by feeding the fire of rumors found there. I am always troubled when gossip regarding artists overshadows their art-- a situation all too common these days (has it ever been any different? Perhaps not). Clearly, the lead artist, while she may be wrapped in mystery, has provided to us a powerful dose of artistic honesty with this record. The songs are short and simple, the lyrics brutally personal suggesting obvious vulnerability, the arrangements stark and to the point. The instrumentation eerie and economical. The entire production is very dark-- lyrically and sonically. It is effective. The juxtaposition of Indian drone instruments and electric slide guitar is original and quite remarkable in its capacity to convey pathos. Whether or not the record was recorded in a treatment room of a mental hospital is not the point-- it sounds as if it was-- that much we know.Lost in all the discussion of pathos and darkness is the strong pop sensibility embodied in the crafting of the 19 songs on the record-- they are mostly three minutes long and rarely contain an unnecessary musical passage. This is a tight and impressive record from an (apparently) deeply troubled artist. The record deserves acclaim in its own right. In my opinion, the artist greatly deserves our heart-felt praise. In review forums such as this one, honest feedback should not be too much for the artist to expect. Thus I am sorry that the two previous reviews appear to be bogus. At any rate, I loved this record and strongly recommend it to connoisseurs of deep, dark, inspired art."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1