Tanya Donelly
Whiskey Tango Ghosts
4AD
Tanya Donelly has the wonderfully angelic voice that once graced Throwing Muses and Belly. These days, she’s abandoned the clamoring guitars and indie rock sensibilities of those bands for a much more subdued sound. Whiskey Tango Ghosts will please Tanya Donelly fans, and it will hopefully find its way into the hands of fans of Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos.
Actually, I find Donelly to be much more talented and pleasing than Tori Amos – though, their styles are quite different. Her music on this album is very earthy, almost bluesy, with the instruments of choice being piano, acoustic guitars and the occasional lightly brushed drums. There are times when I find vocals high in the mix to be offensive, but I appreciate it on Whiskey Tango Ghosts. Donelly’s voice is so warm, inviting and soothing that I melt underneath its blanket of pleasure!
This is one of those album where no one song stands out from the rest. The album is one masterful piece. Songs flow from one to the next with a clear sense of purpose and style. My personal favorite is the lonesome “Butterfly Thing,” one of the more up-tempo numbers on the album. It features a clean electric guitar playing a lovely melody and a quietly tapped drum beat that hints at exploding, but never does.
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