L. Abramson

While listening to the deceptively simple arrangements of Leah Abramson, many names paraded through my mind. Some songs immediately brought to mind a raw Kathleen Edwards or Sarah Harmer, then some were Cat Power and then, more obscurely, some were very similar to Nedelle. Whenever a lone female with a remarkable voice picks up a guitar, the list of sound-alikes is long and varied but this doesn’t have to be a disservice to the musician. Listening to the gorgeous "(Come to the) Landfill” would be good without any knowledge of the above references, but by being able to compare Abramson’s songs to others, it stands up quite well. With her stripped acoustic backing and haunting echoes accompanying her remarkable voice, the song is definitely a cut above. The perfectly melancholic tone of "Waterworks” pulls one in just like Cat Power, but Abramson’s clarity of tone puts a different spin on the apparent hopelessness of the circumstances. Assured and not as derivative as one may think, Bedroom/City has a rough charm that dissipates into subtle beauty with every listen.