http://dmme.net/auburn-game-of-faith/?fbclid=IwAR3qWyxZ-ceGpq1zXiXoFiHpulrMNDomGs6h-BmWr8si4amOckjz-FzxWKk
AUBURN – Game Of Faith
Scarlet 2019
Looking through time and finding the rhyme: anguished Americana as a means of survival.
Although
it may look like a metaphor, there’s a genuine game attached to this
album, with each song assigned a card character – yet the listener can
safely assume they all refer to Liz Lenten who’s been leading AUBURN for
two decades now. If the band’s previous work, "Love & Promises" –
a telling title – reflected her happiness and anxiety, its successor
comes full of heartbreak. A personal turmoil and a temporary loss of
voice define the ensemble’s sixth record not only lyrically but also in
sonic terms: Lenten’s new approach is arranged around her half-whisper
delivery which seems to suggest a certain extent of intimacy – still,
vulnerability doesn’t belong here, as Liz has chosen delicate defiance
over full-on self-pity.
It’s obvious on
the stark, vocals-and-strum, blues “I Drank” that’s followed by the
flamenco-flavored “Prosecco-Fuelled Profiles” or on the equally riveting
Catalan travelogue “Misshapen Fruit” – the most focused instance of the
singer-songwriter’s craft, while the slightly feisty “Spoke In The
Wheel” is lifted to the hope level thanks to Thomm Jutz’s filigree
guitar. With an element of vaudeville to the alluringly smoky “Bad Girl,
Good Woman” and exotic air to “Trinidad” where country meets calypso,
Liz’s numbers run through styles and places, yet the hot and humid
“Happy Nowhere” will fail to locate her erstwhile bliss.
Not
everything is hidden in plain view here, however, the titular track’s
arresting purr of a welcome turning out to be a trap whose unhurried
twang wouldn’t let a player leave until the pained prayer “His Arms”
dissolves the soulful shimmer behind “I Don’t Love Him” – but not before
the quietly rumbling licks propel ‘Float To Blue” away from the
darkness. It’s rather cathartic, this brave veneer over “Like I Do” –
protective, yet somewhat exposing Lenten’s vulnerability even more.
After such an album, there’s no other way than to get healed and emerge
scarred if not scared.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
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