For anyone out there who have never heard of Kristin Hersh, she's an American singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1980s as the leader of the alternative rock group Throwing Muses before launching a solo career emphasizing her acoustic guitar. In 2003, she formed the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave. We pick up on things 13 years later after the release of her latest album ‘Wyatt at the Coyote Palace’.
This studio album was released alongside a book as was her 2010 album ‘Crooked’. The 24-track double album was recorded at her favourite studio in Rhode Island with Steve Rizzo at the helm. Stories and songs of love and loss are mixed with Kristin’s humour with the pains and travails of a life spent on tour.
The album starts strong with 'Bright', 'Bubble Net' and 'In Stitches'. 'Green Screen' and 'Wonderland' follow, with barely a weak track on disc 1. 'Some Dumb Runaway' and 'From the Plane' stand out on Disc 2 alongside 'Soma Gone Slapstick'.
An abundance of strong guitar riffs and melodic tunes fill your ears, alongside huge changes of pace and rhythm, making the 1 hour 23 minutes fly by. Kristin mixes power chords, rhythmic strumming and finger picking to create a distinctive sound which could be classed as several different genres – punk, alt rock, America and even folk.
Review by Shaun Rogers
