Bambi Lee Savage

This record is a properly titled homage to Bambi Lee Savage's career as a musician. In the span of 25 years in the business, Savage is notable for having engineering credits on two of the most influential albums of the '90s: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Good Son and U2's Achtung, Baby. She has collaborated with members of the Bad Seeds and Einstürzende Neubauten (both large influences on her musical style), as well as Daniel Lanois. Savage's strengths lie in her ability to mix sugary sweet melodies with dark undertones. On "Oh Loneliness," her voice softly whispers bittersweet lyrics overtop a simple acoustic guitar, yet the overall haunting ambience is still apparent. The trend continues throughout, although never to the same degree. Opener "Easy Way" has a guttural, cyber-punk, industrial quality: heavy guitar riffs are accompanied by an even heavier bass rhythm that complements Savage's higher-pitched, softer vocals. What Savage's voice lacks in range she makes up for with deep, often achingly sad lyrics. Her hushed, half-spoken musings ("Speed of Life") are often what make her songs resonate, ultimately transforming Darkness Overshadowed into a beautiful, shadowy, twisted picture of Savage's psyche and talent.