Imagine a mixture of Scott Walker and Nico. Now add bitters.
Haley Fohr has had my attention since her 2008 album Sirenum. She continued to intrigue with 2011’s Portrait, then Overdue, In Plain Speech and when 2016’s alter ego, Jackie Lynn, showed up, I was thoroughly hooked.
Armed with arrangements for a 23-piece orchestra and plenty of despair, -io, released on Matador in October of last year, ups the ante moving into theatrical operatic heights mixed with guitar, organ, and angst.
The goodbye point
The goodbye light
Goodbye to our arsenite
Goodbye hands touching where it hurts
Goodbye laugh tracks of ancient works
Goodbye dog
Goodbye thought
Goodbye to this memory spot
Fohr’s voice can take some getting used to, like Walker and Nico, but its worth the time to get to know. While this music will never sound familiar, that’s part of its beauty.