We are soon going to enter the winter period, and before that happens, I have a perfect album for you to conclude the autumn behind us.
Widowspeak was formed in 2010 by two childhood friends, Molly Hamilton (vocal, guitar) and Michael Stasiak (drum). After they moved to Brooklyn from Takoma city in Washington State, they have met a guitarist Robert Earl Thomas and bassist Pamela Garavano Coolbaugh, and started playing together. A year later their eponymous debut came out. Following a long tour, Stasiak and Coolbaugh left the band. Stasiak is currently a member of Brooklyn indie pop trip EZTV.
Their sophomore album Almanac came out in 2013, two years later we have got All Yours, and now there is Expect The Best. From their debut days, the band was playing indie/folk/country/Americana with a sprinkle of dream pop. Lead by Hamilton's gorgeous vocal reminiscing Hope Sandoval, the final conviction for their music is that it comes off as a mirror of Mazzy Star. Expect The Best was produced by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Real Estate). Contrary to previous releases that were created in totality by Hamilton and Thomas, now there is a substantial contribution by their tour musicians James Jeno and Willie Muse. This brought full-blooded, almost heavy sound, which is what usually happens when you gather different musicians who deliver their individual styles.
Widowspeak's music is intimate and atmospheric. Molly Hamilton wrote all of the songs for this album when she returned to her hometown. Nostalgia and flood of mixed feelings that come with homecoming affected a delicate change in the sound. According to Hamilton, her parents were big fans of grunge and alternative rock in the 90s, so she grew up on that scene. The influence of grunge and shoegaze is omnipresent in Let Me and When I Tried. Band easily slides from heavy tunes to atmospheric downtempo numbers such as Dog and Good Sport. Songs Warmer and Right On offer vision of deserted landscapes colored in country/folk nuances.
Windowspeak have made a beautiful album, and their most memorable piece yet. Expect The Best is a perfect soundtrack for the end of autumn. Expect that the best winter is coming.
