The Jacket

Widowspeaks Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas hit a high point with Plum, an album that confronted truths about time, money, creativity, and happiness with soft-focus sounds and lyrics that got to the point. It suggested that the duo still had plenty of ideas about what their music could be, a feeling that also seeps into The Jacket. Initially, it was conceived as a concept album about a textiles worker who blows up their life by joining a band and falling in love; hints of these origins remain on "While You Wait," a gently bustling prologue that echoes Harry Nilssons "Everybodys Talking" and comments on living in an instant gratification society as it sets the stage. Ultimately, Thomas and Hamilton took a looser approach that suits their style perfectly, using a hazy montage of storytelling and symbolism that expands on Plums ideas with sounds and songwriting that feel as lived in as a vintage garment. On "The Jacket," they use little more than a widescreen twang and Hamiltons whispers to tap into the way people, music, and pieces of clothing can become extensions of someones identity -- and how, eventually, theyre outgrown. "Slow Dance" takes the fallout of moving on in stride, with Hamilton sighing, "let that be enough." Though her graceful vocals ground songs like "True Blue," The Jackets instrumentation is some of Widowspeaks most artful, whether its the Mellotron that adds a psychedelic shimmer to "Unwind" or Thomas eloquent solo on "Drive." As on Plum, every track on The Jacket contributes to the overall vibe, and even if the album seems to float by on first listen, the warmth of the music lets the songs meanings sink in deeper. This is especially true on "Everything Is Simple," a perfect example of how good Widowspeak are at articulating complicated relationships and emotions in deceptively simple lyrics like "Im no better but no worse/Im still around but its a curse." When the story comes to an end on "Sleeper" and Hamilton sings "anyway, it made for a good song," its just as powerful. All of Widowspeaks experience feels channeled into The Jackets poetic, poignant songs, and after more than a decade together, theyre continuing to build one of the quietly great discographies of the 2010s and 2020s. ~ Heather Phares