Orenda Fink - Ask The Night (Saddle Creek)
Orenda Fink is better known as one half of cult dream popsters Azure Ray but she isn’t averse to having a crack at her own projects. Last year she released an acclaimed album under the O+S moniker, less then twelve months on comes the second effort under her own name. Forget any notions of dream pop or experimental indie however; Ask The Night is a straight down the line trip into sinister Southern Gothic territory. While it may be a pretty short affair, it is defiantly a (bitter)sweet one.

Opener ‘Why is the Night Sad’ is a mournful ballad which has the potential to sound downright creepy with the lights out, ‘High Ground’ sounds like it was ripped off from a chain gang while the wistful on-the-road ‘Alabama’ stands out in its beauty. Fink’s voice has always had the potential to sound menacing but on Ask The Night it sounds more than a little possessed at times.

This is the simplest album she has released to date but that is where its quality really lies. Each track tells its own story soaked with an authentic Southern feel. She may be criticized by some for taking what may seem to be a backwards step, but that would be totally missing the point. Ask The Night is a mini trip exploring Fink’s heritage and it’s one that is certainly worth taking with her.
www.myspace.com/orendafink
Michael B.

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