The Path of the Clouds
The Path of the Clouds gives Marissa Nadler's music more space and a stronger electric presence. The calm voice and dark stories remain recognisable, but the backing gains new possibilities. Keys, distorted guitar and other colours open the songs out. Nadler uses that room to give stories of disappearance and escape a personal feeling.
Bessie Did You Make It begins with gentle guitar above a low, ominous foundation. The song refers to two travellers disappearing on the Colorado River, but the music mainly preserves the uncertainty. Its chorus makes the setting fuller. The voice stays firmly central.
The title track seeks heavier movement. Bass and drums give the story around hijacker D.B. Cooper a steady foundation. New details appear above it, from flute to distorted guitar. The song grows without losing its calm storytelling. That combination gives the record much of its character.
Mary Lattimore adds harp to If I Could Breathe Underwater. The sound is spacious and gentle while the harmony can take unexpected directions. Nadler lets her voice come through more directly than the dreamy setting first suggests. Couldn't Have Done the Killing also has greater menace in its chords without losing its controlled character.
Elegy offers a calmer kind of concentration. The music stays slow, but its different layers support the voice well. That low pace can require considerable patience across an entire album. Attention remains focused mainly on melodies, words and the small changes around them.
Closer Lemon Queen gives the record a warm, wistful conclusion. The Path of the Clouds convincingly takes Nadler beyond her familiar acoustic setting. A larger sound strengthens the stories and brings her voice closer. It is a natural expansion of music that still draws its strength from feeling and concentration.
