Scout Niblett preview

Schubas, Chicago
Friday, March 19, 2010

That Scout Niblett can make a recording so similar to PJ Harvey’s first two albums and have it be one of her most accessible really says something. Good thing they aren’t too similar, though.

The Calcination Of Scout Niblett (Drag City) has a lot, sonically, in common with Dry and Rid Of Me, right down to the guitar tone (not to mention Steve Albini). But where Harvey frequently had a full band at her disposal, Niblett toughs it out with mostly just her axe over 11 tracks. Thankfully, her minimalism doesn’t make for a restrained performance, though she channels her energy elsewhere than the primitive meltdowns that have in turn climaxed and plagued earlier work. It’s the sort of shift that makes you think you know more about an artist, when really she’s finding out for herself.

Picastro opens.

– Steve Forstneger

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