[rating=6.00]
Pale Hands almost have something that could work for them musically as they drift between retro trance and indie pop on their debut full-length album Spirit Lines. The name for the album came after the husband and wife duo was inspired by Navajo weavers who, for symbolic purposes, place intentional errors in their weavings that are called spirit lines. Singer Jen Johnson says that “the meaning that inspired us the most while making this record was the idea that the pursuit of perfection stunts your creativity, and a spirit line frees you from that constraint.” There is an interesting array of dreamy synth tracks on Spirit Lines, but for an album that was molded around having optimal creativity, it is disappointing that this would be the area where it seems to be the most lacking.
Johnson also revealed that the past few years have been hard for her emotionally as she has had to deal with the passing of some of her love ones; however, she was able to sublimate some of that sadness into song. Tracks like “Juventud” and “Low Reversal” display some of her pain in their melancholic melodies and lyrics. Johnson sings of how the world is crumbling on “Juventud” and laments on “Low Reversal” of how “everything gets stripped away” and “only the blinding light remains.” Though there is sadness within the songs, there is also a strength in Johnson’s voice. It is the sound of mustering of the courage needed to push through sorrow and live again.
Throughout the whole record however, there seems to be some musical confusion. The pop vocals don’t quite fit with the new wave beats. Pale Hands resemble a more languid, but somehow also more bombastic version of The XX. If the music were the focal point and not the insipid singing and repetitive lyrics, the band may have had a chance at a vintage electronic trance style. What they do have is a sort of humdrum synth pop. It is pop in the sense that it is completely nonthreatening, but unfortunately it lacks a needed risk or creative identifier. Consequentially, not much stands out, and many of the songs on Spirit Lines become unmemorable.
“Tied Up” and “Fanatic” are probably the best example of what Pale Hands has to offer. “Tied Up” has twinkling synths in the background and power vocals that, while harsh, still end up sounding pretty. The song shifts into something more bouncy and almost upbeat. “Fanatic” presents Pale Hands’ style of electronic beats that lie below Johnsons slow, dramatic singing. Though better than the rest, these songs are still teases and they almost get exciting just before deciding to refrain and stay in their mellow and repetitive groove. Pale Hands is on to something here but just needs some fine tuning when they move to their sophomore release.
