Brigid Dawson was sometimes referred to as the "secret weapon" of Thee Oh Sees, her vocal harmonies offsetting John Dwyer's husky yelps. When the two reactivated the OCS moniker for 2017's gentle and psychedelic Memory of a Cut Off Head, the decreased volume highlighted how strong Dawson's vocals were and how much the chemistry between the two singers could drive the songs. On her first solo album, Ballet of Apes, Dawson (joined by a plethora of indie guest stars collected under the banner "the Mothers Network"), brings a ...
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Brigid Dawson was sometimes referred to as the "secret weapon" of Thee Oh Sees, her vocal harmonies offsetting John Dwyer's husky yelps. When the two reactivated the OCS moniker for 2017's gentle and psychedelic Memory of a Cut Off Head, the decreased volume highlighted how strong Dawson's vocals were and how much the chemistry between the two singers could drive the songs. On her first solo album, Ballet of Apes, Dawson (joined by a plethora of indie guest stars collected under the banner "the Mothers Network"), brings a similar energy to that of the acid-damaged songwriting of Memory of a Cut Off Head. Instead of that album's chamber folk leanings, however, Ballet of Apes puts Dawson's vocal presence front and center on seven tunes that range from witchy psychedelia to mutant jazz-rock grooves. The album was the result of several recording sessions in different locales. Dawson collaborated with Mikey Young in Australia, the Sunwatchers in Brooklyn, and members of Sic Alps, Peacers, and Fresh & Onlys in San Francisco. All of Dawson's collaborators wisely play in the background, however, and the seven songs flow cohesively through shadowy moods that all center around her powerful vocals. These moods take the form of eerie acid rock droning on "Is the Season for New Incantations," a slow-burning and witchy groove somewhere between a slowed-down reading of the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and a dark pagan ritual happening in the woods. The more organic "When My Day of the Crone Comes" leans into dusty acoustic guitars and lyrics of folksy rambling, but moments later the title track finds Dawson locked in a hypnotic upright bass groove and a psychedelic trance reminiscent of the most otherworldly Tim Buckley moments. Sturdy backing from Sunwatchers on this track finds the band freaking out on noisy synth textures and free sax riffing, but never overshadowing Dawson. The seven songs maintain a consistent approach, hovering between terror and transcendence for the albums' duration. Even when Dawson's beautiful harmonies float toward some kind of resolution on come-down closer "Trixxx," it's only a matter of moments before dissonant elements derail the peace that seemed just within reach. To maintain this type of tension and still create a listenable, even beautiful album is a rare feat, and exploring this tension is one of the factors that makes Ballet of Apes such an interesting listening experience. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi
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