aaamusic | On 06, Mar 2011

Okay, so we hear the label of young female singer/songwriter, and most of us switch off a bit, envisaging yet another vacuous pop crooner, or else an insufferable acoustic folky type. But multi-instrumentalist Seerauber Jenny is the best of both and yet neither at all.

‘Avalanche’ is a dizzying chase through proto-shoegaze pop, a gauzy guitar riff and drum machine reminiscent of ‘Seventeen Seconds’-era Cure blending with a frantic sense of alienation in the lyricism and overall atmosphere, yet there is a real electric crackle of energy contained within pop sensibilities. Fran Barker’s vocals are tuneful, emotive, and despite a faint ethereal reverb, both powerful and all too human in tones, lifting the songwriting to a much better place. Deft instrumental arrangement blends gossamer acoustics with keening electrics to create a gently haunting sound that blossoms from the speakers like phantom moths.

The b-side, ‘To Decide (We’ll Cast Lots)’ is at once both more forceful and yet even more ethereal in tones. Funereal organ drones push out to the listener, and underneath Barker’s vocals echo as if trapped in a time warp building layer upon layer of angelic eeriness. A clicking drum machine and harp pull us from these Phantom Band overtones to another, equally ghostly sound. Imagine the ghost of a soul-pop great fronting A Place To Bury Strangers, as Barker croons over thick, gently seismic levels of distorted guitar, framed by twinkling keyboard shimmers.

I can’t really place Seerauber Jenny, nor would I want to. She seems to be in a class of her own, creating what feels like the sonic equivalent of Victorian séances with doses of shoegaze, electro pop, 80s post-punk, and her own heartstrings and ghost-ridden soul. For those of us who always wanted The Cocteau Twins to have a bit more substance, or those who simply enjoy the sounds of feedback and glacial melody combined, ‘Avalanche’ tumbles down glimmering sonic snow to reveal a challenging yet rewarding and indeed compelling new path to follow.

Author: Katie H-Halinski