Sumie
Self-Titled
Bella Union
Street: 12.03
Sumie = Agnes Obel + Feist + Gregory and the Hawk
Quiet, melodic and delicate, Swedish sweetheart Sumie makes her guitar sing so sweetly in the most minimalistic way, proving you don’t need elaborate instrumentation and production to make quality music. Blending European and Japanese imagery, Sumie invokes complex lyrical ideas, creating an interesting juxtaposition between the simple and the intricate, which ends up working beautifully. Instrumentally, at its most complicated, it uses only background vocals and a piano while Sumie’s voice spins gracefully around, intricately weaving each piece together into the stunning closer that is “Sailor Friends.” “Midnight Glories” is a dreamy, nighttime delight reminiscent of Eisley. Perfectly orchestrated, its ethereal, no-frills approach allows for the listener to be completely enchanted from beginning to end. In the case of Sumie, simplistic does not equal basic in any way. –Allison Shephard