Tapping into the vintage country/folk genre that has proved so successful for Eilen Jewell, Diana Jones, Gillian Welch, Sweetback Sisters et al., Rebecca Pronsky has found a unique style that falls somewhere between all these artists, giving her a distinct, but instantly accessible sound.
Where comparisons of style are easy to make, her vocals really make her stand out – blessed with both a powerful and sweet voice, she’s equally as convincing with full band tracks as she is with acoustic numbers; add to this her technical ability, where she moves effortlessly between styles and you have an artist who really stands out from the crowd.
Once you get beyond the stellar vocals and listen a little closer, the quality of the lyrics comes through – much more than just a straight-forward lyricist, there are some real subtleties here that come out over repeated listens; as befits a mix of vintage country and folk, the lyrical themes are a little dark, but never unrelentingly so.
Backed by a small, but tight band, her own acoustic guitar is joined by mandolin, organ, upright bass, drum and various guitars to create songs that convincingly range from the brooding atmosphere of ‘Day of the Dead’ through to the upbeat twang of ‘Mercury News’. These two tracks provide a couple of the highlights across the consistently strong album; other standouts include the vocals and arrangement of the opening track ‘Hard Times’, and the vocal performance of ‘Fragile World’.
She may be Brooklyn based, but the atmosphere created on ‘Viewfinder’ reflects the place it was recorded; the open and organic feel of rural Maine mixed with her natural country/folk direction has made an imprint on the songs, with an unhurried and relaxed air that covers the whole disc.
What makes Rebecca an interesting artist, and ‘Viewfinder’ a fantastic disc is the convincing way she moves between styles, the eleven songs here cover some ground, but the songwriting, her band, and especially her vocals make the transitions natural and seamless. An excellent album.
Track listing
1 Hard Times
2 Day of the Dead
3 Give Up Too Easily
4 Anything but Good
5 Aberdeen
6 Mercury News
7 The Wheel
8 Special
9 Fragile World
10 Shame
11 Good Life
