It's Glass

One of the defining characteristics of Moneyball, Dutch Interiors Fat Possum label debut, was its eclectic, shape-shifting nature as it drifted between slowcore, livelier lo-fi rock, harmonic country-rock, and more, including spacy, experimental drone music. Whether or not it served as a justification for this or actually worked (it somehow did), that trait was largely explained by the groups sizeable six-member lineup, their varied musical backgrounds, and the fact that they all contributed music, lead vocals, and lyrics to the record. The follow-up EP, Its Glass, acts more like an extension of that album than a sequel in that it meanders into additional adjacent territories. The EP opens with the rustic "Ground Scores," a minimalist alt-country love song with an oscillating country bassline, pedal steel guitar, and time-keeping jaw harp. That song is followed by the sleeker, Randy Newman-esque "Go Fuck Yourself" ("and all your cool friends, too"), a work seemingly straight from the 70 singer/songwriter era. The EP then dives down into the dark, experimental electronic folk of "Say Anything," a four-minute track that alternates distorted vocal samples and barbed electronics with slow-as-molasses live instruments. Its connected to the following track, the sparse, howling piano (then guitar) ballad "Play the Song," by the hum of amplification. Its Glass closes with the direct and sober, strummed guitar confessional "I Have No Clue." Unlike Moneyball, the poignant Its Glass was recorded in a professional studio (Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco) with access to new gear, including a grand piano, but the album is often so whisper-quiet and unadorned that this fact is more a liner note of interest than a discography demarcation. ~ Marcy Donelson