Nina Nastasia & Jim White

Nina Nastasia’s trademarked shy girl act is always nicely played out but one couldn’t help but hope for her to break out of her shell just once. It turned out that crazy drums were just what her songs needed, and while Nastasia hardly steps out of character on You Follow Me, her soft guitar songs are given a hard kick by Jim White’s (Dirty Three, Tren Brothers) free-spirited drumming. White has been a member of her band for a while but this is their first real collaboration — though it seems like a strange pairing it usually works out for the better. White’s drums imbue Nastasia’s barebones songs with confidence and Nastasia’s pretty voice provides a contrast to White’s often-rough style. At times, like on the somewhat wanky "Our Discussion,” it seems as though both parties are doing their own thing, either playing different songs at the same time or being caught in an awkward jam session in order to figure out which beat would work best. The two have undeniable chemistry, however, and when they’re able to meet halfway the results are quite good, as "How Will You Love Me” and "I’ve Been Out Walking” show. There may be a few bumps here and there but overall, the two make a good duo.