Corrina Repp
I Take On Your Days
(Hush Records)
Clocking in at just under 30 minutes long, this second full-length CD by Corrina Repp is another excellent release on the appropriately-named Hush Records label and a fairly stripped-down follow-up for the artist. Having said that she likes to sit in the dark and record her songs with her amp sitting in front of her (recording vocals and guitar at the same time), that intimacy is apparent even though this release seems to have been recorded in a slightly different setting.
The interesting thing (and slightly funny) about the recording is that the loudest moments actually come within the first 20 seconds of the entire release. Opening up with some nicely layered drones of guitar on "Did You Say You Were Grown?," things quiet down considerably as soon as the vocals of Repp come in, although the instrumentation of the track never really raises above slowly shifting drones. Her voice has been compared to something comparable to the Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins, and that comparison is slightly warranted, although one could mention other warm voices like Chan Marshall of Cat Power or even labelmate Amy Annelle (whose recent release A School Of Secret Dangers proves there's a veritable powerhouse of female singers on the upper Northwest).
On the next track "Opinion," Repp tackles things with multitracked vocals and an acoustic guitar (as well as some other atmospheric noises) and her vocals stand even stronger than the opening track. Many of the tracks on the album take on relationships and the hardships and aftermath of them, and although there are a couple extra players involved in the disc, Repp takes on most of the guitar and keys (whether it's a plain old piano or the slight addition of a keyboard). As seems to be the case with many releases, one of the most interesting tracks is also the shortest. "Good News" barely cracks the two minute mark and the guitar melody is so slight that it's barely there, but the slight twang of it along with the slightly building percussion and two-part vocal harmony give it a sense of urgency that fit with the lyrics almost perfectly.
As can be expected from the album length given above, the 10 songs on the album never outstay their welcome or drag on to the point of annoyance. Repp has a knack for the short and concise tune writing, and like a good little singer/songwriter album, I Take On Your Days is one of those releases that you'll probably find yourself simply putting on repeat. As mentioned above, it's a very quiet release, with the definite emphasis on the vocals and delivery. Both of those are solid, though, and the instrumentation on the release is interesting enough to add to the songs but not so completely wallpaper that it completely drifts into the background.
Rating: 7
