Music is often at its unexpected best when it requires leaning in. Anyone who’s ever turned up PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me” only to be assaulted by drum pounds at the 2:10 mark can attest.
But what happens in those two minutes can be extraordinary.
In the case of “Rid of Me,” tension rises to a delicious peak. On “Love-Longing,” the EP self-released by folk artist Charger of Leo in March, the quiet is baked into the songs, demanding to be met where it is.
The five tracks from songwriter and performer Raimund S-F channel, in the artist’s words, “dream imagery and the subconscious.” This leads to interesting musical destinations and moods.
“Blues Number” rumbles with a low-end bass that threatens throughout. Played by Mickey Fitz, it’s the sonic equivalent of seeing the sky about to rain (as someone who ought to know once sang). It also sounds like Paul McCartney’s “Every Night” with the dread level dialed up.
Mood pieces abound. “Here in My Arms” aims for vocal grandeur that’s just out of Raimund’s range, and “Charlotte Lullaby” swings toward American primitive experimentation.
There are hiccups, like the dry vocal tone that can strip the otherwise atmospheric songs of any atmosphere. The artist’s rushed fingerpicking, too, creates a feeling of tipsiness that may be intentional.
And then there’s “Ruby,” the best track here, which begins like a blissed-out Meat Puppets tune and ends up close to Elliott Smith. Ditto for closer “Time Apart,” which is too ramshackle to be ordinary but not quite weird enough to be outsider pop.
This distinction works in Charger of Leo’s favor and ultimately positions the artist between the expected and many tempting side quests. “Love-Longing” works because it exists in that negative space.
Patrick Hosken is CITY’s arts reporter. He can be reached at patrick@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
