Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth 2009

Author

Cat Hope

Published

Friday 10th July

Sub Pop thru Stomp

Tiny Vipers is Jesy Fortino, and Life on Earth is her second album, following on from 2007’s Hands Across the Void, which had a more American feel – not unlike the early Bruce Springsteen classic, Nebraska. What we have on this album is a more delicate and transparent songwriter, characteristics also evident in the simple but beautiful production of her songs on this release. This album is a straighforward affair, a collection of songs accompanied by simple and cyclic guitar playing, shaded beautifully with dynamics and crystalline single line melodies. Every now and then, just a little more is added ­ a second guitar that is gradually detuned and manipulated in Time Takes, and some subtle reverb effects on both her voice and the guitar in Young God. In some ways this is a musicians music: it has the open wound/wandering melody of Cat Power, the song/spake/yell of Joanna Newsom, but also the abstract song writing beauty found in the likes of Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt or Smog. This is a slow and dark collection of songs; the lyrics are personal yet not lost in a claustrophobic vacuum.

Rather, Life on Earth is breathing, touching and meandering exploration of the American solo singer songwriter.