Gasping For Your Mouth

Laura Veirs’ Saltbreakers has more personality in its big toe than most albums have in 45 minutes of arms and legs and torsos. And considering she guested on the Decemberists’ “Yankee Bayonet” last year, one would think people would be rushing to pick up this record. Superficially she plays female-fronted folky pop/rock, but it’s so much more than that. Here’s what I said in my Cokemachineglow review:

“Complex and ornate, (the album) drapes the singer/songwriter’s straightforward melodies in elements ranging from the Eastern string arrangements on “Ocean Night Song” to the static-y drum machine backing her on the John Vanderslice-like “Don’t Lose Yourself.” … Veirs has carved herself a nice little niche in the folk-pop scene: more fun than singers such as Julie Doiron or Nina Nastasia, she’s not as quirkily off-putting (and inconsistent) as Regina Spektor, and sonically she’s more full-bodied than any of them.”

So yeah, it’s really good.

Laura Veirs – “Pink Light”: mp3

(Saltbreakers is out now on Nonesuch Records)

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