Devastatingly stark and powerful first album for 12 years by the American folk singer-songwriter that focuses on her abusive, intense, dysfunctional 25-year relationship with her former manager and collaborator Kennan Gudjonsson. She finally left him in January 2020, and the next day he killed himself. The songs are made even darker and more poignant with her pure, clear voice and just acoustic guitar, co-produced and recorded by Steve Albini, Nastasia’s lyrics chart many moments in the relationship, from the depression of single Just Stay In Bed, but most of all the sheer, terrifying rage and violence captured in the songs This Is Love (holding hands through every violence blast … we work it like a dance taking turns to fall into the dissonance”) and Nature. Yet there are shades of this dysfunctional relationship, such as the more tender Blind As Batsies to the mutual mire of The Two of Us, her torn motivations for leaving him on Ask Me, all the way to the haunted guilt of Afterwards, in which she includes his ever hovering presence: “Now you're dead and gone / No loneliness, just on my own / Sometimes you walk into my room / And sit and brood until I fall asleep”. Difficult, beautiful, and brilliantly honest work. Out on Temporary Residence.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Feel free to recommend more new songs and albums and comment below. You can also use the contact page, or find more on social media: Song Bar Twitter, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube, and Song Bar Instagram. Please subscribe, follow and share.
Song Bar is non-profit and is simply about sharing great music. We don’t do clickbait or advertisements. Please make any donation to help keep the Bar running: