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Nina Nastasia & Jim White You Follow Me Released in 2007 9.2/10 Styles Singer/songwriter Experimental rock Minimalist rock Song Highlights Odd Said the Doe Our Discussion In the Evening |
You Follow Me is the result of a collaboration between singer/songwriter Nina Nastasia, who has released a number of solo albums to generally positive critical response, and drummer Jim White, best known as a member of Australian post-rock band The Dirty Three. White had been working as a member of Nastasia's live band during touring, and the decision was made to record an album together which would spotlight their talents equally. The final product is one of the singer/songwriter genre's freshest, most idiosyncratic albums in some time. Nastasia has the type of strong but semi-conversational delivery that is both comfortably relatable and commanding, able to shift from vulnerable to edgy with impressive ease. Her relaxed yet infectiously melodic style warrants comparissons to similar female vocalists such as PJ Harvey, Kim Deal and Nina Gordon. Indeed, Nastasia's style is unmistakably reminiscient of the girl-with-guitar sort-rock aesthetic that helped to define the sound of the early-to-mid nineties. The pull of her delivery is utterly compelling, making it all too easy to get fully taken in by the music on You Follow Me. Her guitar technique is similarly excellent, with a gritty, folky style well suited to her vocal and songwriting style. She also made the wise decision to use the guitar sparingly so that it only demands an equal share of the attention along with her vocal and White's excellent percussion. It's fascinating to see a drummer credited as a full collaborator, rather than just a contributer, but this is very telling of the vital role Jim White plays in every song. His percussion is as important, and very nearly as noticeable, as Nastasia's singing, which is quite a unique treat for an instrument usually confined to remaining in the background. White is always given the spotlight in equal measure to Nastasia, with his punchy, complex, faux-imrovisational style being a fascinating counterpoint to Nastasia's guitar and vocals - to such an extent that it can at first seem a little out of place. There are even numerous points throughout the album where the vocals and guitar peel back almost entirely, allowing White's drumming to come completely to the fore in a way so much more striking than mere "drum solos". His percussion regularly melts down into chaotic twists and turns - deviating completely from the initial, standard beat of the song, only to seemlessly snap back onto the song's melody in ways so subtle that you don't see them coming. One of the best examples of this comes on "Odd Said the Doe", as the drums seem to drift ahead of the guitar, first racing too far ahead in the song and then meandering completely off the map. For those few moments it sounds completely wrong, but just as the disorientation begins to fully set in, drums and guitar find their way back to one another and you're left smiling at just how clever these two really are. At times it almost sounds as though White's drumming, being occasionally unconventionally loud and immediate in the mix for this type of recording, threatens to swallow up Nastasia's guitar and vocals, as though they might submerge the songs beneath their percussive chaos. However, White deserves full credit for managing so impressively to ride that narrow edge without ever actually tumbling over it - this control makes the songs feel very much alive and full of vital spirit. Steve Albini handled the recording and engineering on You Follow Me and, as usual, his work is quietly exceptional. Nastasia and White's output is recorded with an appropriate level of space and prominence, allowing the album to sound intimate and distinctly "live". As usual, Albini's contribution is hugely important, but he leaves no trace of "producers fingerprints". You Follow Me is notably consistent from start to finish. There are certainly no low-points, but I have a few personal favourites I think a worthy of mention. "Odd Said the Doe" is terrific, and is arguably the most pleasing combination of White and Nastasia's individual instrumentation. "Our Discussion" features one of Nastasia's most delightfully frank, conversational vocals, with her casual, speak-sung delivery hovering beautifully over White's skittering, gentle percussion. "In the Evening" absolutely soars as easily the album's most overtly celebratory song. "Late Night" features a slow, melancholy delivery which quickly leads into a soaring chorus of determined hurt and frustration. "How Will You Love Me" is movingly tender and romantic. "I Come After You" provides the album with an energetically folky finish, with some of White's best drum fills. White and Nastasia made the smart decision to keep the album short - its 10 tracks clock in at just over 30 minutes - which makes the album easily digestible, well-rounded and leaves you always wanting more. It's an album I find myself frequently listening to multiple times in a row, which is a rarity worthy of real praise. The very best thing about You Follow Me, though, is that it achieves exactly what it should - it's catchy, intimate, moving and thoroughly enjoyable, just as all good singer/songwriter albums should be, while its particular collaborative nature gives it something utterly unique. It's familiar and strikingly original at once, and is an album any fan of the genre should be checking out. |