August 2002 • Rockbites Alternative Daily
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August 2002 • Rockbites Alternative Daily
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Missy Roback and friends put out instant classic 27 August 2002
Rain Parade (originally The Sidewalks), the Los Angeles ’80s 'Paisley Underground' poster band formed by a couple of friends from Minneapolis (David Roback and Matt Piucci, along with David’s younger brother Steven), disintegrated in 1988 after a rocky seven years but spawned a family of notable musical projects including David’s Clay Allison, Mazzy Star, and Opal; and Steven’s Viva Saturn which most directly followed Rain Parade’s muse. This year Steven produced and independently released two new records. Snowy is a chill-psychedelic project for vocalist Bonni Evensen; and Just Like Breathing, out today on his own Hear Kitty label, is the debut album by his wife, San Francisco singer/songwriter Missy Roback. Just Like Breathing is easily the subtlest record I’ve heard this year, with dangerously-delicate and fragile musical textures—piano-key noise, breath sounds, and nearly-subliminal background vocals—impeccably balanced against acoustic guitar, softly-played drums, and gentle electric bass. All of it perfectly frames Missy’s shy and artless and stunningly emotive vocals. The exceptional production and engineering don’t outshine the lyrics but rather are all about promoting them. And as the music draws you in, the words pierce your heart. On the title track Missy sings “I’ve always said I see both sides/ That doesn’t justify your lies/ Consider what it’s worth to you/ ’Cause every day you stand to lose/ ’Till you’re just someone I once knew.” A casual listen to this record, hearing it in the background as you do something else, will reveal just voice and guitar playing slow country-tinged folk rock. Yes, yes, very nice, nothing special. But turn off the lights, turn up the volume, or put on some headphones, and a world unfolds. On the album track Sight Unseen, which features as large an ensemble as any on this set, noise guitar and plinky piano intermingle with cello, bass, acoustic percussion, studio effects and room noises, along with Missy’s multi-tracked, angelic voice, to create a rainy day soundscape to lay down and die for. Players on Just Like Breathing include Steven on keyboards, bass, and guitars; Tim Mooney (ex-American Music Club) on drums and percussion; Leigh Gregory and Grant Miller (from SF ambient duo Mandible Chatter) on guitars; and Diana Senechal on cello. For its musical craftiness and sublime beauty, for its vocal immediacy and lack of pretension, and for its lyrical poignancy, Just Like Breathing has more 'Oh, fuck' and gives-me-chills moments than any record in recent memory. Five bites out of five. Rockbites ratings 5: life changing, 4: stunning, 3: captivating, 2: amusing, 1: annoying. | Missy Roback | | Hear Kitty Records | | New Britain (full length MP3) | | top of page | |
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