National Music Reviews
Yowler
The Offer
Double Double Whammy
Street: 02.21
Yowler = Grouper + Ȏ PAON + Mitski
From “Water,” a melodic, turbulent opener to the dusky closer “The Offer,” Maryn Jones’ first solo release speaks to a primal place in the mind and the body. With vocals wrapped up in rough, melancholic guitar, Jones’ high whisper sounds like some memory echoing off from some secret place just left. She sings like a grave siren, introspective, seeking only to take hold of herself. She picks at an inner consciousness with sharp drones and simplistic, provocative guitar, and with poetic lyrics that evoke images of shadows. This album has me spellbound, my brain sloughing off other desires, collapsing into it at every opportunity. Coming from a musician involved in both pop-rock band All Dogs and folk band Saintseneca, this is a beautiful close up of one very multi-talented artist. Albums like this are the closest I ever feel to the unknown, and it’s worth a listen for that closeness. –Erin Moore