Tiny Vipers
Life on Earth

Generally, I prefer to avoid reviewing music albums, partly to avoid encountering some author frowned upon by potential fervent followers of rock or metal, but the album in question, although I can't say it particularly impressed me – after all, it doesn't stand out significantly compared to other alternative releases – seemed pleasant enough to make an exception.

It is the most recent work (the fourth) dating back to 2009, by Jesy Fontino, a thirty-year-old from Seattle, about whom I know nothing else, but it seems he had more accessible or pop past, and here he presents himself with an essential work of guitar and voice, with a bit of the feel of Eddie Vedder's latest solo record, expressing himself through almost liturgical and discreet poetry, allowing for an occasional dark passage, some distortion, sparse keyboards as in 'Young God' or the concluding 'outside'. But mostly melancholic arpeggios provide the background for the empathetic lyrics. Although not particularly intricate or melodically calibrated, except perhaps for 'Outside', every verse emerges as if dragged and suspended in the air, with such truncated pronunciation you'd wonder what makes it so sad, but then again, I'm not exactly the embodiment of cheerfulness myself. The tracklist is quite elusive, as it's not really clear where some tracks begin or end, or where some are reprised over the 60 minutes.

Even with an overall aspect, as mentioned, deserving praise. A tone far from any pretentiousness, which only in some passages reminded me of Morissette. There's also an important folk vein in his work, somewhat discrepant from his roots, but so be it. And above all, his music has a nice relaxing and emotional streak that led me to appreciate the album in question, and which consequently I allow myself to recommend here.