Orenda Fink - Invisible Ones

Genre rock Publisher Saddle Creek Records External Links Official Website Saddle Creek

Melancholy is not relegated only to the Smashing Pumpkins, it has spread far and wide to others hoping to capture some of that sorrowful magic for their own. Billy Corgan does not hold the copyright on that particular emoting, though he still does it the best.

Attempting to follow in the those melancholy footsteps of the perpetually bald one, Orenda Fink crafts a serviceable, sparse and spiritually tinged Invisible Ones for those who will listen. The lyrics find Fink in a state of malaise, her delivering them with a back of the throat hush throughout, occasionally reaching the higher octaves for more weight. The words are accentuated with keys, improvisational drums, and atmospherics, both vocal and musical.

When reading the liner notes and listening to the songs, it's easy to realize that the words are just poems set to music, every once in a while a line repeats to give some semblance of a verse-chorus-verse structure. The delivery of syllables is laid back enough that you can picture Fink in a black and white desolate land, moving in slow motion and writhing around in some rhythmic, almost gymnastic manner (with the ribbon and everything!). A perfume commercial, possibly.

Much like Fiona Apple has done through the years, Fink stays in one vocal range only to allow the occasional staccato drum fill to make up the direction of the song. This works well with her subject matter, though the juxtaposition of the lyrics on "Blind Asylum" is odd ("I am happy every hour of the day" comes across extremely unconvincing).

World music and even some Tibetan chanting chime in on the album, adding an extra sense of spirituality. The whole album packaging does nothing to lead one away from the Corgan envy, looking almost like a sequel to the Pumpkins' Adore.

Invisible Ones ends way too quickly, leaving things unresolved. Ultimately another album will be needed to indulge in the musical turns and muted reference that is Orenda Fink.