Azure Ray
"November"
(Saddle Creek)

The ex-Bright Eyes duo of Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor have returned to grace our stereos with their second installment of lush folk melodies, entitled "November". Sounding like a cross between a more confident Cat Power and a female Simon & Garfunkel, Azure Ray has emerged as one of the bright spots at Saddle Creek.

At no point is the Simon & Garfunkel more apparent than during their rendition of the Townes Van Zandt song, "For the Sake of the Song". Falling somewhere between a whisper and a croon, Fink and Taylor's gorgeous harmonies sound beautiful yet effortless.

The next song, "No Signs of Pain", has Fink and Taylor's low voices hovering innocently and plaintively over timpanic drums and violently strummed acoustic guitars. The result is a sound that can feel as heavy as a Sabbath riff, but bears no similarity to one musically. "Just a Faint Line" finds the duo wrapping their voices around each other, creating sweet moments where they intertwine, and allowing you to appreciate the subtle differences between their individual sounds as well. As the vocals drop out and a drone fills the last minute of the song, you are left with an empty feeling that spills over into the next track, entitled "I Will Do These Things". The girls execute this trick very well, and the "heartbeat-like" rhythm provides chilling percussion for the sparse piano playing.

"November" is a step up from the debut record on Warm that surfaced last year. The arrangements are more lush, and although there is no doubting that these ladies have terrific voices, they are put to much greater use here. Recommended for fans of Cat Power, Simon & Garfunkel, Elliott Smith, and Bright Eyes.

-Karthik