Kristine Leschper - The Opening Or Closing of A Door
This is a stripped-back work that is overwhelmingly enhanced by the beauty and fragility of Leschper's vocals, creating a naturalistic and folkier feel to previous works, and producing an authentic sense of natural impermeance.
'The Opening, Or Closing Of A Door' sees Athens, Georgia based musician Kristine Leschper temporarily abandon her band name Mothers, after eight years and two albums of stark and skeletal post-punk poeticism, and turn instead to the transience of life, and the cyclical pathways of nature, in this, her solo debut. Inspired in part by the style of the New World Poets it is an album that challenges our own perceptions of circularity and linearity, and encourages us to instead look at life with a universal sense of connection.
This is a stripped-back work that is overwhelmingly enhanced by the beauty and fragility of Leschper's vocals, creating a naturalistic and folkier feel to previous works, and producing an authentic sense of natural impermeance. Previous reviews compared her voice to Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, but this new-found sensitivity reminds me of both Joanne Newson and Bic Runga.
Opener 'This Animation' is almost baroque in tone, with flute and mandolin adding to a gentle rhythmic mood in this musing on “living in life, living in love”. 'Picture Window' paints a lush view of nature, zooming in from panoramic vistas to the microscopic detail of “frantic pollen scatter”.
The hauntingly beautiful 'Stairwell Song' was written back in 2013, but only now appears in recorded form, still stripped back and with Leschper's voice floating delicately over a gently strummed mandolin.
Latest single 'All That You Never Wanted', written by Mothers member Matthew Anderlegg, reminds me of the sermonic performances of Reverand Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping, with its despair at our consumptive society.
'The Opening, Or Closing Of A Door' closes with a sincere, but tranquil 'Thank You', with just Leschper and piano pledging that “my love is for you, my love is for me too”. However, the lingering sense of positivity and purpose makes this album a hugely rewarding and inspirational experience, and is surely destined to become one of my favourite original albums of 2022.
9/10
