Domestic Sphere

Though her outsider folk style has always been fluid, the 2020s marked a new era for vocalist/songwriter Josephine Foster where dramatically changing course became the norm. Pedal steel-heavy, country-leaning 2020 album No Harm Done wasnt too far removed from the woodsy folk sound Foster had been working in for the better part of two decades, but 2022s Godmother absolutely was. Godmother showcased some of Fosters first public experiments with synthesizers and drum machines, weaving electronics into her songs without losing the unique character of her writing style. One year later, Domestic Sphere is yet another beast entirely. Instead of anything resembling synths (or even the fleshed-out country-folk arrangements of her other albums), the songs here are minimal and atmospheric, consisting of just far-off electric guitar, Fosters voice, and field recordings that drift in and out of the songs. After the scene-setting introduction track "Entrance," multi-tracked vocals wrap in spirals around the sound of screeching coyotes and muted guitar strums. The vocals smear into a bigger sonic picture, with difficult-to-discern lyrics sometimes interrupted by what sounds like a cassette tape recording of a violin coming out of an old player for just a moment. The spare instrumentation makes Domestic Sphere feel more like an unwavering mood than a collection of songs. Lengthier pieces like the seven-plus-minute-long "Burnt Offering" meander, with the sound of chimes and hooting owls occasionally cutting through the mix, while incidental tracks ("Entracte," "Shrine Excerpt") consist of just environmental nature sounds or more worn-out cassette music snippets. Its one of the more textural readings of Fosters style, with highlights like "Song for the Dead" and "Haunted House" utilizing room ambience as another element of the arrangement. Like some of the best work by Low, Grouper, Julie Doiron, and other masters of spacious songcraft, Foster creates a breathing feeling with the limited parts that make up Domestic Sphere. Its a work of indirect beauty and shows yet another angle of Fosters multiplicitous creative voice. ~ Fred Thomas