A riveting folk album from Canadian artist R Sheaves, MARY SPINS infuses gorgeous guitar work and emerging orchestral aspects within artful lyrical perspectives that capture life’s complex myriad of emotions. From accounts of looming anxiety to hopeful reassurances for brighter days, the album excels with a wholly immersive aesthetic, reminding of Sufjan Stevens’ captivating songcraft.
The album’s title track opens with enjoyable intrigue, shifting seamlessly from a subdued vocal presence into a wordless swooning. Quaint acoustics and twangy effects adorn the lyrical drive initially, then giving way to powerful strings and clamoring acoustic strums. Commencing with a hushed invocation to the enigmatic Mary, a recurring symbol of hope throughout the album that weaves in and out, “Mary spins” is a dynamic and emotively gripping opener. The ensuing “peering over edges” melds hypnotic guitar trickling and subtle strings into expressive vocal layers — artfully capturing a sense of losing control and mounting anxiety: “I’ve gotten worse at pushing panic down / or there’s just more to be worried about.”
Another highlight, “it gets better” feels like a natural response to “peering over edges” — answering that foreboding anxiety with a hope for things to improve. Holly Winter’s bass clarinet complements haunting backing vocals and a gripping vocal lead from R Sheaves, with shades of Sufjan Stevens. Comparisons of hope to “a string pulled tight,” with finite appeal infuses with twinkling piano for a chilling, impactful sound. The “Mary spinning,” section reprises the album’s titular figure, asking “is she telling me that it gets better?” — and thoroughly showcasing the strong emotional pull apparent throughout the entirety of MARY SPINS.
—
“it gets better” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
