Spotlight: Grouper

Grouper is Liz Harris, from the impossibly hip Portland, Oregon. It's a dreary, rainy day in Tallahassee, the kind of day that's perfect for sitting in bed and listening to music like this. Harris sounds alternately like a scared little girl and a siren, both wandering through a foggy clearing in the woods. The very creepy cover is a perfect visual accompaniment to the music inside. Acoustic guitar, nearly indecipherable lyrics, and occasional piano, all drowned with reverb. It took me a few listens to warm up to this one, but it gets better each time. Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill is pretty simple and straightforward, but incredibly effective. Though I have no idea what she's singing about, it's an intensely emotional record.


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