The New Sound of Numbers

It’s somewhat undeniable that the advent of psych-folk has created a new generation of female musicians; musicians that sound more at home on the stage of All Tomorrow’s Parties then Lilith Fair. Regardless of genre there is a collective experimental feeling to the New Sound of Numbers, the lone conception of Hannah Jones that follows in the well-tread footsteps of artists like the Raincoats and the Slits. Jones recorded a fair majority of the album at home alone, laying down track after track on the living room floor of her one-bedroom apartment in Athens, GA, or at least that’s what you imagine. The layering of schoolgirl harmonies on "La” evoke images of Jones, long-haired and sleepy-eyed "la-ing” herself into a trance over the microphone. But she didn’t do it all by herself, as the album was created with the addition of Heather McIntosh and members of fellow label-mate the Olivia Tremor Control. The instrumentation and orchestration on the album is sophisticated and Jones creates a great amount of depth while keeping the album succinct. Though you can trace the influences here, it comes out sounding fresh.