Bent Ring (Bandcamp Link) by Wendy Eisenberg.
That “Bent Ring” contains two tracks with a capella versions of the hymn “Abide With Me” caught my interest, for obvious reasons.
Wendy Eisenberg has interested me, as they appear to be a person whose musical output stretches from something like pop music all the way to freely improvised music.
Bent Ring is primarily a vocal album, with multi-tracked chorus-esque vocals on the songs. Accompaniment is primarily banjo, with sparing use of percussion (by Michael Cormier) on many tracks.
Eisenberg’s main instruments on the album are their mezzo-soprano voice and banjo, but it is the prose poetry of the lyrics that drives it.
I think the poetry, largely about living, being an artist and person, in the 21st Century, is what keeps me coming back to this album. It is witty, funny, and catchy. I also like that while being somewhat concise, the different songs are diverse in their sound and character.
The longest songs are around 4 mins, with most clocking shorter, yet the whole album feels satisfying, despite its brevity.
Released November 5, 2021
all songs written and performed by Wendy Eisenberg
percussion by Michael Cormier
produced by Wendy Eisenberg, Lucas Knapp, and Michael Cormier
