Deli #54 - Bodega, Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit and Synth Expo 2018
A magazine and website focused on emerging NYC artists and pedals!
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Records of the Month<br />
fortH W<strong>and</strong>ererS<br />
Self-Titled<br />
Forth W<strong>and</strong>erers’ new self-titled album,<br />
their Sub Pop debut, is symphonic <strong>and</strong><br />
rollicking. the b<strong>and</strong>’s songwriting duo—<br />
Ben Guterl on guitar <strong>and</strong> Ava trilling penning<br />
lyrics—are perpetually in sync, despite<br />
often writing at a physical distance.<br />
the album is a triumph, bursting with<br />
angst <strong>and</strong> dissonance while maintaining<br />
an innate pop appeal. the five-piece<br />
b<strong>and</strong>’s members are rarely in the same<br />
place at once (they’re all college students<br />
in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey<br />
<strong>and</strong> ohio, respectively). Despite this, their<br />
chemistry <strong>and</strong> synchronization as a b<strong>and</strong><br />
is abundantly evident on this release.<br />
this album has something for just about<br />
everyone who has an ear for pop music—<br />
it’s bright <strong>and</strong> jangly at times, distorted<br />
<strong>and</strong> gnashing at others, <strong>and</strong> it always has<br />
something to say. (EthAN AMES)<br />
Half Waif<br />
Lavender<br />
N<strong>and</strong>i rose Plunkett’s singing is deliberate.<br />
her voice moves slowly, with seeming<br />
ease, as if each line is a response<br />
in real time, never rushed but carefully<br />
thought out <strong>and</strong> confident. the music<br />
Plunkett makes under the half Waif<br />
moniker is equally precise, particularly<br />
on the group’s latest album, Lavender.<br />
though often meditative in its ambience<br />
<strong>and</strong> melodic complexities, half Waif flexes<br />
a knowledge of pop that brings the<br />
music to sweeping highs. throughout,<br />
Plunkett contemplates womanhood <strong>and</strong><br />
the distance accompanied by travel,<br />
perhaps best summarized in the opening<br />
track’s description of a visit with her<br />
gr<strong>and</strong>mother. Both musically <strong>and</strong> lyrically,<br />
Lavender makes for a thoroughly<br />
engaging <strong>and</strong> ambitious addition to the<br />
half Waif catalog. (CAMEroN CArr)<br />
Katie Von ScHleicHer<br />
Shitty Hits<br />
Late in 2017, NYC based singer-songwriter<br />
(<strong>and</strong> vocalist for Wilder Maker)<br />
Katie von Schleicher came out with a<br />
poignant <strong>and</strong> plaintive album with the<br />
not-so-poetic title Shitty Hits. From<br />
the very beginning, opener the Image<br />
treats the listener to von Schleicher’s<br />
unusual, yet elegant melodies, supported<br />
by an unexpectedly noisy production<br />
based on an original <strong>and</strong> intriguing approach<br />
to loud/quiet/loud. the results<br />
are spectacular. the perfectly controlled,<br />
vaguely industrial clangor keeps<br />
coming in the following tracks, together<br />
with Katie’s incredibly beautiful vocal<br />
lines, forging a record that’s as unique<br />
as it is enjoyable <strong>and</strong> moving. Perhaps<br />
it’s true, these songs aren’t hits, but, on<br />
the other h<strong>and</strong>, they are definitely art.<br />
(PAoLo DE GrEGorIo)<br />
10 the deli Spring <strong>2018</strong>
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