Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Mark Corcoran-Lettice discovers an album of enigmatic art pop from the Californian band
Sacred Bones Records
Released: 25.06.21
More commonly associated with heads-down psychedelic rock and metal-informed songwriting, Sacred Bones might not be the obvious home for Spellling’s enigmatic art pop, but The Turning Wheel suggests that this is an artist happy to row against any expectations or demands placed on her work.
Dramatically expanding her sonic palette from fragile synths to grandiose symphonic arrangements, the dichotomy between the surreal and the saccharine Mercury Rev landed on for Deserter’s Songs and All Is Dream is as viable a comparison as any: the precision of Chrystia Cabral’s voice and major key string flourishes may sometimes land closer to the world of Disney soundtracks than is strictly comfortable, but on centrepiece moments like Boys At School and Queen Of Wands, her boldness more than pays off.
