These songs make me into another person. I'm a criminal, then a scaredlittle boy, and the next minute I'm the loner walking through thedesert with a storm at my back. Nina Nastasia forces me to assume theseroles with her voice in my ear and her guitars cutting down at me likevicious slaps. One minute I'm in quiet solitude, hiding in a thicketand the next I'm being whipped around by a squall bursting withlightning and unexhaustable power. Run to Ruinis just that: powerful and excited. Nastasia's voice is absolutelyentrancing and the instrumentation is a fluid swarm of acousticstrumming, near-classical arrangements, and cabaret-styled,instrumental passages. "We Never Talked" starts the album as theperfect preface. Nastasia's lyrics are somewhat vague and manage toevoke a sense of wonder and mystery in every song, but especially onthe opener. "In the car, you'd have brought it up / But I went on aboutthat job / All the love I have left you won't know / All the fear Ihave left you won't know." The way it's sung puts a knot in my stomachevery time... and then the storm begins. "I Say That I Will Go" is astory about keeping a promise. It has a deliciously twisted ending thatsuggests all sorts of mischievousness. Violins, cellos, banjo,dulcimer, piano, and some distinctive drumming from Jim White of DirtyThree drift, collide, and wail with Nastasia's excellent story-tellingand clear, graceful, and at times absolutely earth-shattering voice.Though the album runs at just over thirty minutes long, each song isfull of character and developed completely. There's more variety on Run to Ruinthan on most albums that last twice as long. "The Body" begins like animitation-baroque piece and "On Teasing" sounds like a tale told bygypsies around camp fire; it features an instrumental duel that soundsas if it comes from the spirit world. "You Her and Me" creates a hybridsound that holds country and folk music dear to the heart but is muchmore bare and delicate. Despite all the acoustic and familiarinstruments used, this is a unique album with a myriad of styles andalien melodies. Every time I play this record, it's like beingtransported to another world. Not one song is disposable and after thealbum stops, I have this incredible urge to play it again just so I candrift away.samples:
Read More
