In The Groove EP.13: Adrianne Lenker - songs and instrumentals
Another week, another deepish dive into a great album from our monthly theme. This month we’ve been dipping our toes into the indie folk pond, so here’s one more for you with thanks to www.onvinyl.co.nz an Aotearoa owned and operated portal of curated vinyl in pristine condition. So, without further ado let’s check out a true indie folk classic of the modern - post pandemic world. An album simply called Songs and Instrumentals by the extremely talented Adrianne Lenker.
From what I’ve read it would seem that the early years of Adrianne Lenkers life were spent in a Christian cult in Indianapolis before her parents split and took the family to Minnesota, where they lived in a few different Cities. At only 8 years of age, Lenker wrote her first song and by 13 had amassed enough material to record an album. She dropped out of high school at 16, but thanks to Susan Tedeschi’s recommendation, earned a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. A few years later she would twice serendipitously meet her future musical partner, (and at one stage husband) Buck Meek. Together they formed the nucleus of Big Thief, a prolific, ever touring, vibey indie folk rock band that has released 5 albums to critical acclaim.
Enter stage left “Covid 19” to put a stop to Big Thief’s annual routine of touring. Rony, caught the group on European soil, plying their wares. So Lenker (like everyone else on the globe) was forced to stay inside and away from others for a few months. Joined by an engineer armed with a modest, vintage 8-track tape set up, she set about recording a flowy, ambient rich, acoustic folk album. The setting is a secluded cabin in Massachusetts, the perfect place to sit in silence and run through a collection of avant-rustic fingerstyle songs in peace. Each day started and ended with an improvised guitar jam and these were compiled into what would become the Instrumentals disk. Today we’ll be focusing on the Songs disk.
Lenker’s guitar style and execution are as flawless as they are meticulous. Using what sounds like a thumb pick and bare fingers, she delicately wrestles clean melodic bass lines and pairs it with softer arpeggios. Although there is definitely some mild guitar overdubbing on Songs, for the most part the record sounds like multiple guitars anyway because the thumb strokes are a bit more glassy. Various tunings are used and Lenker is an absolute monster on them all. It was interesting to learn that 9 of the 11 songs on the record were written between May and June while Lenker was holed up at the foot of them there hills. So the gift that we get to listen to, really is a time capsule of her life during a very fruitful period.
With Zombie Girl Adrianne pens a classic ballad. In standard tuning with a capo on the 8th the forlorn paean captures the sometimes sinking depths of a waking moment with brutal lovesick honesty. Never does she sound trite when sounding Dylanesque, nor earnest to the point of cringe when she is sincere. The harsh light of reality can be cruel and empty, and I think the song is Adrianne canvassing herself for an answer and pining for the dream to return. The wind chimes, birdsong and metallic river foley are an earthly touch which brings an elven mysticism to the song.
On the opener Two Reverse, Adrianne plays fingerstyle at a bit of a clip in standard tuning capo on the 6th. The verse passage lurks around G,C,Am and F# shapes and moves to an ambiguous time signature. The lyrical phrasing leads the way and the guitar follows through what feels like 2/4, ¾ and 4/4 all while a simple percussive element keeps time. Full disclosure, if you hadn’t noticed by now I’m not a crazy good guitar player and this one I found to be a real handful. Buuut, in the spirit of furthering my guitar journey I gave it a darn good go! I only hope that this can inspire you to do the same.
I’m not a hundies sure what was used on the recording, but Adrianne looks to be playing some sort of Martin 000-16C in live sessions promoting the record release. In lieu of the exact model, today we are featuring a 2011 Martin OMC-44K Laurence Juber. A fingerstyle players dream and a rare piece being #7 of 25 made. Signed by Mr. Juber himself.
On Not A Lot, Just Forever Adrianne goes to town on double dropped D flat tuning which goes Db Ab Db Gb Bb Db. The sweeping arpeggios have a harp-like quality and it’s one of the most intimate songs on the record and contains the arresting verse:
And your dearest fantasy
Is to grow a baby in me
I could be a good mother
And I wanna be your wife
So I hold you to my knife
And I steal your letter
Her pining vocal delivery teeters on the edge of fracture when singing the chorus. She is disparaging of herself and the song has a subtle hint of sarcasm to it. I guess we are inevitably asking the world of someone when we want them to stick around and share a life, but if we utter how much we want that - and what ‘forever’ means, we run the risk of scaring them off.
On Songs and Instrumentals Adrianne Lenker concocts an intoxicating world of acute heartbreak ballady and repairs her soul in the woods during a period of worldwide uncertainty. If you’re a fan of Nick Drake or Joni Mitchell, then this will be well up your alley. My suggestion to you is to listen to the album on headphones ,where the intimacy of the songs is omnipresent and the elven fragility in Lenker’s voice is palpable.
So, with that we have journeyed month long through the world of Indie Folk and have barely tickled the toes of the wondrous genre. I’ve learned that intimacy and honesty are inherent characteristics of the style and acoustic musicianship is the bedrock of a great folk tune. Next month we are having a bit of a free for all, and with the steady guiding hand of onvinyl.co.nz our theme will be “Artists of Note”... what will we be listening to? You’ll have to join us to find out.