Darkness, darkness, be my pillow? Portland based singer-songstress Andi Starr rekindles the femme fatale fervor of her Lilith Fair predecessors (think Juliana Hatfield, Tori Amos, Throwing Muses) on the many magical, murky, and mystical musings embedded within Leaving The White Line. Thanks to a jazz-tinged rhythm section that punctuates her breathy melodies with a swing ethos, plus the less-is-more production smarts of Larry Crane (Elliot Smith, Cat Power, Sleater-Kinney), Starr’s folksy compositions sparkle though the ballads and rockers alike. The title cut, which kicks off the record, spookily hangs in the air by way of reverberating arpeggios and bleary bass motifs as the singer mournfully croons over a love lost “out there, beyond the fog.” “Save Yourself,” which details Starr’s outsider status amongst her religious group, really hits home with an electric violin passage (rendered by Donny Wright) worthy of John Cale in his VU days. And Starr’s cover of U2’s “Running To Stand Still” is worthy of the VU in their Cale days. In an increasingly vapid commercial pop landscape, Starr’s White Line is a gem uncovered.
--Tom Semioli
