Penny & Sparrow
Let a Lover Drown You
Reviewed by: Geno Thackara
Penny and Sparrow strikes me as a duo you have to be in the right frame of mind for. It’s not just a matter of mood, although that’s part of it – their latest offering Let a Lover Drown You is melancholy almost to the point of hopelessness, sort of like Bon Iver’s depressive twin from a parallel universe. Besides that, it’s also sparse and languid enough that if you don’t give it due attention, you could easily get to the end and barely remember a thing you’ve just heard.
But I don’t really mean to make it sound like a snoozefest. Kyle Jahnke and Andy Baxter put some serious attention into these pieces, all full of reflective lyrics and understated voice harmonies. They’re sung over a bare-bones framework of acoustic guitar with touches of other things (mostly subtle percussion or simple strings) on the side. It crafts a feeling that’s probably closer to chamber folk than anything else, though now and then there’s still a hint to let you know they’re from Texas. The other key vibe I get here is of Damien Rice, particularly in the way they can add dynamics or drama at a key moment with just a swell of their voices.
The emotional tone does have an occasional glimmer of light, but somehow it always seems faint and out of reach – naming your finale after a tragic literary character will do that, though most of the songs aren’t quite as downbeat as that one. Mostly we’re looking at snapshots of relationships and thinking about the different ways they can go wrong. It’s a theme that perfectly fits with the quiet feel and the gentleness of their voices.
Penny & Sparrow have a lot to take in here if you can follow at their own pace. I’d suggest taking stock of where you are and how you feel at the moment. Ask yourself whether you’ve had enough of the world and just feel like hiding out in a cabin for the next month… or if that’s not an option, at least grabbing a steaming mug of something hot and burrowing under a cozy blanket for the next couple hours. That’ll probably help decide whether it’ll feel like a sleeper album instead of putting you to sleep.
Rating: Listenable
