Music that documents pain is some of the most interesting and emotionally resonant of all. Take Riderless Horse, the first music from Nina Nastasia since 2011, and her first solo album.
In her own words, the long gap is the result of 'unhappiness, overwhelming chaos, mental illness, and my tragiclly dysfunctional relationship...' The backgtound story is here
Perfect material for a raw, overwrought record and Riderless Horse more than lives up to the billing. Steve Albini produced the record and the making of it clearly worked as a process of healing. 'We all had meals together, cried, laughed and told stories together. It was perfect. It made me realise how much I love writing, playing and recording music.'
There are plenty of precedents for this. I was reminded of Karen Dalton, the grandmummy of all this. Iris Dement, Judee Sill, Janis, any female vocalist with an edge to her voice and an axe to grind. Nastasia has the songs and the emotional heft to earn comparison with all these. It's a deceptive record. It charts the pain. But there's tenderness too. It tells the tale of why couples stay together when they shouldn't. Until it's too late.
The end result is redemption we trust. Natasia deserves the last word. 'Terrible things happen. So, what to do. Connect with people, move the fuck out of that apartment, remember the humour, tell the truth and make a record. I made a record.' Damned good one at that.
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