By Todd Lavoie
Ah, what a perfect day! The sun is shining, I’m whirling in the afterglow of Obama’s Super Tuesday super-dupers – 13 wins – not bad at all! – and I’ve just been charmed, bedazzled, and blindsided by a new artist. What could be better? Methinks this dopey grin of mine might remain in place for a while yet. The rain’s staying away, our man’s got momentum, and I’m ready for another spin of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down‘s We Brave Bee Stings And All (Kill Rock Stars). Heard it yet? Give it 32 minutes of your time, and try telling me that you don’t feel a spring in your step afterwards.
The first thing you’re bound to notice is Thao Nguyen’s voice: what a voice! The DC-area singer-songwriter boasts a rich, throaty timbre that could probably easily bruise a few hearts if she wanted to, but instead of opting for the soul-baring intensity of, say, Nina Nastasia or Fiona Apple or Cat Power (with whom she shares a few vocal similarities), Nguyen shows off an impish playfulness which is quite refreshing.
Still, there’s the occasional touch of sadness – here a vulnerability-offering turn of a phrase, there a crestfallen sigh – as a reminder of the vocalist’s potential for breaking hearts. It’s a potent mix, this combination of tender ache and winking mischief, and she uses it to tremendous effect. If anything, she might have more in common with Feist’s unguarded whimsy than much of anything from the Cat Power catalog, and her jazzy country-folk leanings also call to mind Erin McKeown. Honestly, though – Nguyen sounds quite distinctive here. Once you’ve heard her, chances are you won’t be mistaking her for anyone else afterwards.