It's Not The Band I Hate, It's Their Fans: Laura Veirs

Laura Veirs released a new album a couple of months ago entitled “Saltbreakers” which also happens to be the name of her new band. Laura has always been an artist that I knew more about, as opposed to an artist that I really knew. I’ve heard her name all over the place, and I’m familiar with her association with Sufjan Stevens and The Decemberists. But I have to admit that I have never really gotten around to listening to her music until now. According to most of the reviews that I’ve perused, this album does not seem to be up to her usual standards. However, as a new listener, I have to say that I quite enjoy it. She has a very compelling voice, original and unpretentious. The album starts with “Pink Light” which has a very epic sound and at 4 minutes, it’s almost still too short. She seems to be very adept at painting various mental pictures by means of her lyrics. An example of this can be found in “Ocean Night Song” which begins “A handful of dream dust for my pirate / He can hear the pacific singing / The sea meets the light in his salt water eyes / Icy pictures of the water are captured in his frame…” The music is masterful in how it complements the lyrics, particularly with the inclusion of the viola, making her sound enjoyably wistful. She adds a subtle dance beat in “Don’t Lose Yourself” and she slightly rocks out in “Phantom Mountain.” As I mentioned, I’ve got nothing to compare “Saltbreakers” to, but based on a completely unbiased listen, I found it very rewarding and I’m anxious to backtrack through her previous catalogue to see what I can find.