Isolate yourself, cover your head with a snug pair of headphones,
turn off all the lights and light a candle. It’s the best way to listen
to Life on Earth, Tiny Vipers’ sophomore album. Jesy Fortino,
the one-woman wonder behind Tiny Vipers, is an unassuming young
songwriter. She huddles over her guitar and avoids eye contact with her
audience, but reveals her thoughts in her songs. The Seattle-based
musician revels in the simplicity of her old folk-style tunes: The
shimmering emptiness of her haunting voice and stark guitar-picking say
a lot with a little. Fortino recorded Life on Earth in an analog
studio in Austin, which retained the natural sounds of the guitar. At
times, it sounds like her voice is coming through the depths of a dark
cave. “Time Takes” ends with deep bass that spurts out like a looming
thunderstorm; elsewhere, distorted squeaks are layered over
disorienting chord structures. It’s not a cheerful listen, yet it’s
sadly beautiful, a trap of ghostlike webs that carry you to a dark,
timeless place. — Sills
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2009.
