Emptiness, according to Jessica Pratt, is an opportunity to find meaning. As a result, Quiet Signs builds strength as it galvanizes simplicity.
It is the purest distillation of this artist’s voice and is primed to be one of the year’s standout releases.
While Jessica Pratt’s already-absorbing sound has been made fuller and richer on Quiet Signs, there’s still a charming simplicity to it all. And what do they say about simplicity? There’s a certain beauty in it. Here it’s ethereal and exquisite, with a magic that weaves its way into your being and transforms the world around you.
Quiet Signs offers solace in place of definitive resolution as it drifts by, able to capture so much with so little at play.
Her melodies hold nary a wasted chord or unwanted phrase.
For every shadowy quality ... there’s enough musical and lyrical intrigue to warrant dozens of listens.
Her sparse instrumentation and delicate melodies demand calm attentiveness; few artists can silence a room as intently as Pratt does.
Quiet Signs is a breeze of an album that somehow hits you like a ton of bricks. Just another enigmatic turn for Jessica Pratt.
Quiet Signs manages to present a more empathetic side of her that was once concealed. It's still quaint by comparison ... a delicately-crafted acoustic set that offers insight into her deepest fears and truths without letting us encroach into her private space.
This is an album to sit with, to take in, and to fully appreciate its subtle and quiet beauty.
Despite its economy and modest conception, Pratt’s insistence on chiseling away as much as possible from her songs – but maintain their emotional core – actually adds to their mystique.
In under 30 minutes and in just nine songs, Pratt produces a warm, bewitching alternate dimension—but not the kind you fall into in a nightmare or thriller. The universe she’s fashioned for herself is more paradisal.
The record’s nine songs clock in at just 28 minutes total, which feels just right, the samey-ness among songs playing as a strength, conjuring a mood and maintaining it, yet never feeling predictable.
It’s a quietly self-assured and immersive album that should mark out and reaffirm Pratt’s singularity.
Kudos to Pratt and producer/keyboardist/assistant Al Carlson for sticking with a clearly non-commercial sound where her quiet, comforting talent is as alluring and elusive as the fluttering of butterfly wings.
While it’s often beautiful and stylistically elusive, this is undeniably a folk record fitting snugly in Pratt’s stable.
Her sound has gained a wide-scope cinematic feel without losing any of its raw intimacy.
If some songs risk being that bit too hazy and undefined, Quiet Signs offers another magical otherworld to escape into.
Quiet Signs is a meager helping of Jessica Pratt's pretty and subtly psychedelic style of folk songwriting.
These nine songs, fully and beautifully recorded in a professional studio for the first time, stick to the winning formula, centred around hypnotically simple acoustic repetitions, muted piano and Pratt’s soft siren calls.
If you are a fan of very simplistic folk music, you will probably enjoy Quiet Signs. However, if you are interested in a more complete, well-rounded sound, hit the skip button.
I am pretty enamored with this album and think it is a natural and great step forward for Jessica Pratt. It is funny to think of this album as a significant departure from her style. Pratt's stripped-down and fuzzy songwriting has always evoked an empty bar on a Tuesday night. Her music invites daydreaming; it's surreal lyrics as strange as Pratt's distinct voice. While not for every mood, there is a familiar and relaxed attitude about her music that I find comforting.
Quiet Signs doesn't ... read more
A slight disappointment after falling hard for the single 'This Time Around' - the rest of the album keeps to the exact same sound palette but the song writing never again reaches the same heights.
The result is that while 'Quiet Signs' could never be accused of sounding anything less than lovely, the album does suffer greatly from sameyness and an overall melodic mushiness.
Pratt doesn't possess the sort of voice you want to listen to without a solid tune behind her, it just blends into a ... read more
Pratt's latest work emphasizes on the serenity of minimalism. A gorgeous folk record that equates to the mellow sensation of counting sheep. The album opener: Opening Night, a deliberately composed piano piece forecasts everything from the get-go. Pratt's softspoken voice & hypnotizing introspection and her intricate thought for soothing melodies alone creates an ambience of restfulness. The biggest kicker is, the record's compact runtime, as it opposes any means of supposed dullness by ... read more
The beauty of a record like this is that it sounds like it can live anywhere within the last fifty-years, truly timeless in it's approach. It's a record that would wonderfully accompany the late hours of a night with its intimate and delicate production and arrangement styles. At first I wasn't sure how'd I feel about her voice as this was my introduction to her music, but I came around pretty quickly. I also loved the way her voice was treated in the mix of these songs.
Heard this one off of Spotify's autoplay, and given its short length decided to give it a full spin. Very pretty album overall. Pratt's instrumentation is very well executed and makes for some very soothing soundscapes, and her eclectic vocal style (high-pitched, yet almost wispy) makes for a fitting complement. While I wish the album were more varied, it is nonetheless a short and sweet listen for those who like folk/chamber music.
Favorite Tracks: Crossing and Opening Night
Rating: 7/10
1 | Opening Night 1:39 | 73 |
2 | As the World Turns 3:11 | 73 |
3 | Fare Thee Well 4:05 | 76 |
4 | Here My Love 2:54 | 75 |
5 | Poly Blue 2:43 | 73 |
6 | This Time Around 3:37 | 78 |
7 | Crossing 2:48 | 77 |
8 | Silent Song 3:13 | 75 |
9 | Aeroplane 3:35 | 73 |
#2 | / | Thrillist |
#5 | / | The Washington Post: Chris Richards |
#9 | / | Albumism |
#11 | / | Noisey |
#12 | / | Q Magazine |
#12 | / | Treble |
#13 | / | NBHAP |
#15 | / | No Ripcord |
#19 | / | Pitchfork |
#19 | / | Stereogum |