On Returning
Clocking in at a mere 34 minutes 'On Leaving' the fourth album from Nina Nastasia may be slight on first appearance but like a musical feather-weight it packs a deceptively strong emotional punch. Nastasia teams up with legendary engineer Steve Albini and arranger Kennan Gudjonsson once again here and the partnership reaps plentiful rewards on this her first L.P. for new label Fat Cat.
The arrangements are subtle throughout and tease the best out of Nastasia's incredible voice, allowing it to take centre stage while Albini's engineering gives the album a raw, emotional fragility reminiscent of early PJ Harvey. While the album kicks off with the haunting melancholy of 'Jim's Room' it quickly segues into 'Brad Haunts A Party' a sprightly, upbeat affair that stands in stark contrast to the album's over-arching down-tempo feel. The fragile but beautiful 'Counting Up Your Bones' certainly fits the brief of being "more sad than bad" as Nastasia's voice reaches the peaks and troughs of her impressive range. At times it almost cracks under the pressure but even in such circumstances it manages to maintain a beautiful, bruised clarity. The sparse traditional folk of 'Why Don't You Stay Home' is exceptionally good with its gently plucked acoustic guitars augmented by splashes of piano and that smouldering voice. 'One Old Woman' by contrast is sketchy lo-fi country and one of a mere handful of tracks to feature a full band arrangement; consequently it sounds a little crowded and over-wrought when compared to the minimalistic feel of the rest of the material on this album. While experimentalism takes a back-seat on this record there is the occasional attempt to modify the country/folk/blues template. 'Treehouse Song' is the best example of this and is possibly her most ambitious cut to date – Steven Beck's neo-classical piano work adding a welcome dash of autumnal colour to the mix. The album's undoubted highlight though is the gorgeous 'Lee'. It's the musical equivalent of a rainy September evening, Nastasia's nimble, fluid guitar work creates a swirling pattern amongst the un-imposing backdrop of plaintive piano and moody cello. The dreamy 'Settling Song' is evidence that Nina can do heartfelt romanticism as good as any of her peers and the album closes with the equally elegant 'If We Go To The West'.
'On Leaving' is a fine album of gothic country and traditional folk, the perfect come down record for those late Autumn nights when you lay in bed, looking out at the stars pondering life, love and mortality.