Anyone who's been following this blog for a while knows how important Sonia's music has been to me as a person and for the site itself. (Click on her tag if you're curious.) There's not too many people whom I would follow if they suddenly changed their backing band. Especially if part of that transition was adding 80s-style analog synthesizers.
But I figured Tetlow's personal style is too well-defined to do much damage to. I one walked into a bar during Jazz Fest and thought "Huh. That bass player sounds like Sonia. Maybe I'm just being sexist though." Except my eyes adjusted to the dark and it turned out to be my rock'n'roll idol. I'm not obsessive -- I swear. (Maybe Sonia could say otherwise.) It's just that she has a distinctive attack on the guitar. From her earliest work to Now, Tetlow's songs are imbued with dense, undulating rhythms that envelop the listener and provide a stolid foundation for lyrics that dig deep.
Now finds Tetlow at a time of deep personal transformation, so it makes sense that this would be the moment for her to explode things and find out what the essence that remains is. 15 years ago, which feels like both a lifetime and a blip, I listened to Sonia's music to help me come to terms with my inner turmoil. This album doesn't make peace with that turmoil, necessarily, but it does attempt to contextualize it. I'm glad I've caught up. Also, Now has given me a new appreciation for synths, which is a huge accomplishment.
Sonia Tetlow -- Official, Facebook, Purchase
Some of this text was previously posted on No Depression.
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