Fact #26563

If you enjoy contemporary wistful folksy chanteuses - let's say Joanna Newsom, Laura Marling or Laura Veirs - you're already halfway to liking Gibson. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, this is easily the best of her three albums so far, moving her into a quirkier sonic landscape that nicely compliments her metaphysical lyrics. The chamber music arrangement of Crow Swallow, the crashy drums of The Fire and the undulating swoon of the title track all provide compelling backdrops for her quirky, slightly spooky, backwoods-flavoured tales. Be warned, though. Some of her vocal affectations [e.g. trembling, in Gibson's gob, becomes 'trem-bo-ling'] are cringeworthy.
Johnny Black (review first appeared in Hi Fi News, 2012)