Tara Angell’s Come Down has an edge which distinguishes it from the bland, ho-hum content of a lot of singer-songwriter albums. There’s a darkness undercutting her sensitive introspection. Thematically she is inspired by American Southern Gothic writers like William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor and William Purdy, who focused on eccentric misfits and their search for love amid lives of crisis. Angell’s tracks ‘Untrue’, ‘Hollow Hope’ and ‘The World Will Match Your Pain’ have a similar sense of the macabre.
Tara has spent the last decade in New York underground counter-culture. The influence of the punk ethos is evident in her music, particularly on ‘Bitch Please’. This gem ingeniously uses sampled, laughter and studio feedback to counteract the melodic sweetness.
Contrast is at the heart of Tara Angell’s songs. Her sultry, gravelly voice and melancholic lyrics complement the light floatiness of the instrumentals, evoking the conflict between hope and experience.
Produced by indie iconoclast Joseph Arthur, each song is tightly constructed and multi-layered. Arthur also lends a hand on bass, keyboards, percussion, guitars and even chimes in with some backing vocals.
Come Down is an apt title for a collection of songs which tell of a life fully lived, with all the disappointments and downers that this entails. This might only be her debut, but Tara Angell is clearly no ingenue.