Be Mine, the debut album from the UK's powerdove, comes out February 15th from Circle Into Square Records!
Annie Lewandowski is powerdove. Though she frequently collaborates with other musicians, the resounding heart of powerdove will always be Lewandowski's sparse, haunting vocals and lilting parlor guitar. With influences ranging from Nico and Leonard Cohen to the drone sounds of Sunn O)), her music will warm the hearts of experimental folk fans. Be Mine was recorded in the Mills College Concert Hall in Oakland on Valentine’s Day, 2009, by Deerhoof's John Dieterich, and the resulting twelve songs gracefully sway from ethereal, sun-dappled numbers to eerie, creaking ballads—all the while communicating Lewandowski's words like little beams of light.
These songs, originally written to be performed solo, have been transformed for this recording with the help of Alex Vittum and Jason Hoopes. From the original delicate arrangements for voice and parlor guitar, a trio was born. With his sublime sensitivity as an upright bass player, Jason brings depth and gravity. And with a vast array of magical percussive objects, Alex weaves an ethereal thread from song to song. The contributions of these musicians—Hoopes’s warm bass rumble in "Resting Place," Vittum's well-placed booms on the title track—are far more than simple “additions” to this music; they create worlds—soft, dazzling, and strange. "Be Mine" could easily be a 60's girl-group love song stripped to its bare essence, plainly asking for the warmth of affection. Lewandowski’s gently picked guitar allows her breathy voice to shine on "Birdsong". Elsewhere, songs are gently accented with the spare sounds of glockenspiel, trombone and flute.
Currently based in Southampton England, powerdove will embark on a European tour in April with plans to return to the US over the summer. Be Mine drifts into the world via Circle Into Square Records on February 15.
Artist bio, press photos and more available here.
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