Clocking in at just under 30 minutes long, this second full-length CD by Corrina Repp is another excellent release on the appropriately-named Hush Records label and a fairly stripped-down follow-up for the artist. Having said that she likes to sit in the dark and record her songs with her amp sitting in front of her (recording vocals and guitar at the same time), that intimacy is apparent even though this release seems to have been recorded in a slightly different setting.
The interesting thing (and slightly funny) about the recording is that the loudest moments actually come within the first 20 seconds of the entire release. Opening up with some nicely layered drones of guitar on "Did You Say You Were Grown?," things quiet down considerably as soon as the vocals of Repp come in, although the instrumentation of the track never really raises above slowly shifting drones. Her voice has been compared to something comparable to the Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins, and that comparison is slightly warranted, although one could mention other warm voices like Chan Marshall of Cat Power or even labelmate Amy Annelle (whose recent release A School Of Secret Dangers proves there's a veritable powerhouse of female singers on the upper Northwest).
On the next track "Opinion," Repp tackles things with multitracked vocals and an acoustic guitar (as well as some other atmospheric noises) and her vocals stand even stronger than the opening track. Many of the tracks on the album take on relationships and the hardships and aftermath of them, and although there are a couple extra players involved in the disc, Repp takes on most of the guitar and keys (whether it's a plain old piano or the slight addition of a keyboard). As seems to be the case with many releases, one of the most interesting tracks is also the shortest. "Good News" barely cracks the two minute mark and the guitar melody is so slight that it's barely there, but the slight twang of it along with the slightly building percussion and two-part vocal harmony give it a sense of urgency that fit with the lyrics almost perfectly.
As can be expected from the album length given above, the 10 songs on the album never outstay their welcome or drag on to the point of annoyance. Repp has a knack for the short and concise tune writing, and like a good little singer/songwriter album, I Take On Your Days is one of those releases that you'll probably find yourself simply putting on repeat. As mentioned above, it's a very quiet release, with the definite emphasis on the vocals and delivery. Both of those are solid, though, and the instrumentation on the release is interesting enough to add to the songs but not so completely wallpaper that it completely drifts into the background.
rating: 7
Sonny Rollins once told a friend of mine, critic Garry Giddins, "Don't ever shrink from the belief that you have to prove yourself every minute, because you do." Then Sonny asked how old Theo was doing, and Garry said "Fine". I'm doing well because there are artists in the indie music community whose work proves the "slacker generation" is not all about slacking. When I beat Garry to the punch and interviewed Ida, I saw not only their glowing love of music (and the thrill a Lou Reed or Prince record might give them), but their burning motivation to always one-up their past. Among the ways they improve their work is through side projects, like Beekeeper and Liquorice, and by helping to add greatness to friends' albums. Their musical achievements make it clear that Ida's concern is for the project at hand, not for extraneous crap like fame or fortune.
Like the members of Ida, Corrina Repp keeps a busy schedule by offering assistance on many HUSH and Jealous Butcher releases. Pick any album recorded in Portland in the years since her great debut, A Boat Called Hope, was released; chances are, if the record was good, Corrina helped out. On her second full length, her generous support on friends' records has been paid back handsomely. The first six tunes far surpass any hopes or expectations a person could have, while tracks seven through ten live up to the promise of Repp's debut, giving Westerners their own Cowboy Junkie to kill them softly.
The songs define the phrase "so good it hurts", and I will never have enough time to fully exalt them. The first eight or ten seconds of the disc are about roaring guitar...and then quiet, leading to questions ("What if I never raised my voice?") whose answers ("You'd never know how weak I can be") refer to the person, not the song. These songs are not at all weak, but add more delicate muscle upon a foundation built in the seventies by Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson. The poetry is subtle but powerful; never forced, it is as natural as a Mark Strand or Charles Simic could make a line appear. Speaking of a failed relationship, she sings "I put his coat on/It never quite fit". Of a "happier" relationship, "I take on your nights/Even when you cry".
As for Repp's voice, it perfectly complements the songs. I might not want her to sing me "Happy Birthday", but her brand of fragile folk and country could please any fan of Trembling Blue Stars or the Lightning Seeds. Her voice has a softness that's so worn, it conveys the puncture marks of any of her thoughts. I Take On Your Days will lovingly take on your nights. Repp's lyrical insight -- which has grown so much that her next stage must will surely be omniscience -- will shower you with such beauty you'll cry like a child...then play the CD again.
-- Theodore Defosse
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