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Nadja, "Clinging to the Edge of the Sky"
This decidedly un-Nadja release is a stunning surprise by a pair of artists that I thought I had completely figured out. This single-sided LP by Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff nods more to Angelo Badalamenti than to the usual avant rock gods. Gone are the waves of crushing riffs and in their place is some well placed suspense and elegant, soundtrack-like motifs.
With Nadja, I have a tendency now to sit back and wait to see what others think of a release before charging in. As much as I like them, there’s only so much of their slowed down shoegaze that I need. However, their oddball releases invariably are worth getting and Clinging to the Edge of the Sky is no exception to that rule. Baker’s drumming and Buckareff’s bass sketch out a brooding backdrop for Baker’s Twin Peaks-infused guitar; the music here sits more comfortably beside Bohren & Der Club of Gore rather than with Nadja’s usual musical companions like My Bloody Valentine and Boris.
Unfortunately, at one side of an LP the amount of music leaves me starving for more. I’m not a fan of etched LPs as unlike a picture disc, you never put the etching side up on the record player so rarely do they get much attention. It would be nice if Nadja explored this style a little more or at least bring some of this noir shading to their usual sound. As it stands, Clinging to the Edge of the Sky is a brilliant, if brief, anomaly in their catalogue.
