On her second LP, i don’t know who needs to hear this…, Tomberlin’s self-soothing becomes a tonic for modern anguish.
Older, wiser, and more ambitious than on her collegiate debut, Tomberlin finds a musical artistry on i don't know who needs to hear this… that rises to the level of her lyrical perceptiveness.
I don’t know who needs to hear this… finds Tomberlin firmly stood in the language of her own making. She redefines song structure, alluding to the intrinsically mirrored fashion in which life pans out; like life, far beyond the close, these songs continue to spin.
A Tomberlin song is a winding road, making use of negative space — grander and more resonant than ever on i don't know who needs to hear this… — and having reverence for the journey of the loose threads on their unpredictable weave to create a whole.
Tomberlin’s songs on i don’t know who needs to hear this seem to dwell in a space where time doesn’t pass. There’s something cosmic about the experience.
As the title suggests, Brooklyn-based Sarah Beth Tomberlin's second long-player seems to semi-consciously urge you to move along – nothing to hear here. Yet it creates its own slow-burning allure on repeated listens.
turns out that I needed to hear this, that's who. Tomberlin has already opened for Lucy Dacus and she will be the opener for Angel Olsen on her upcoming European tour, and that's the perfect milieu for these delicate and thoughtful indie folk songs. this is a beautifully produced record with full-bodied arrangements that don't get noisy. Tomberlin co-produced with Philip Weinrobe who has also worked to good effect with Adrianne Lenker and Indigo Sparke, among others.
"stoned" is a ... read more
I learned of Tomberlin earlier this year when she opened for Lucy Dacus on her Home Video tour back in October. In my "At Weddings" review, I noted that Tomberlin presented a gorgeous, intimate folk sound that did not very much go off the usual conventions of that genre. Her live performances mimic that image well: it is just her and a guitar on stage and every song would only invoke the fret board moving up and down a few scales. My first experience with this album was before it was ... read more
As far as minimalistic folk and singer-songwriter music goes, this is borderline perfect.
The singing is phenomenal, the instrumentation is so well done, and the lyrics and storytelling are heartbreaking.
Favorite tracks: "memory", "collect caller", "stoned", "happy accident", "idkwntht"
I expected to like this more than I did; I really enjoy some of her other material, so I expected quality here. That's what I got for the first few songs, then it started to blend together. Her straightforward, quiet approach to indie folk doesn't do enough to separate it from the rest of the pack - instead, it doesn't even separate it from itself with tracks, although different and sometimes even markedly so, that turn the album into background music rather than its intention to make a quiet, ... read more
Gentle, mellow, melancholic. Most of her lyrics and the ideas she explores seem extremely personal, and slightly impenetrable in their own way, which made it difficult to connect. But her consistent tone, smooth vocals, and her ability to express personal grief and self-doubt with a sweet delicacy make it a nice listen. happy accident and idkwntht are my favorites.
Some of my favorite production on any album ever. It knows when to be warm and when to be cold, and most of all, it knows the strength of being sparse. And this sparseness allows you to clearly hear every word that comes out of Tomberlin's mouth. And every single one of them is laden with meaning and intent. This album throws me constantly between ecstasy and melancholia but always manages to sound near perfect.
1 | easy 5:41 | 79 |
2 | born again runner 5:18 | 75 |
3 | tap 4:31 | 78 |
4 | memory 4:32 | 74 |
5 | unsaid 4:46 | 76 |
6 | sunstruck 5:01 | 78 |
7 | collect caller 3:01 | 77 |
8 | stoned 4:45 | 83 |
9 | happy accident 5:45 | 86 |
10 | possessed 1:51 | 76 |
11 | idkwntht 4:45 | 80 |
#7 | / | MAGNET |
#18 | / | Stereogum |
#19 | / | Exclaim! |
#25 | / | Paste |
#32 | / | Beats Per Minute |
#42 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#67 | / | God Is In The TV |
#93 | / | Rough Trade (UK) |
/ | AllMusic | |
/ | NYLON |