Smithson, Dawn / Safer Here
Album: Safer Here   Collection:General
Artist:Smithson, Dawn   Added:Dec 2005
Label:Kranky  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2006-01-01 Pull Date: 2006-03-05
Week Ending: Feb 19 Jan 29 Jan 22 Jan 15 Jan 8
Airplays: 1 1 1 2 4

Recent Airplay
1. May 05, 2022: Stranded at Settembrini's
Safer Here
4. Jan 22, 2006: Neurotic Tonic
A New Day
2. Nov 06, 2009: No Fo, $5 Surcharge Fee
Ticking Away
5. Jan 19, 2006: Rock in a Position
A New Day
3. Feb 12, 2006: Neurotic Tonic
A New Day
6. Jan 10, 2006: Rock in a Position
Safer Here

Album Review
Ben Wolfson
Reviewed 2005-12-19
Desolate singer-songwriterisms, low (for the genre) female voice accompanied by guitar. Fairly spartan, open arrangements that nevertheless produce claustrophobia—sorta reminds me of Jandek's “White Box Requiem”, though the guitar playing is much better (or at least much more obviously the product of someone who knows how to play a guitar conventionally). The lyrics are generally high quality, and depressing. Reference points (aside from Jandek, which may not be that apt—I've only heard the one album): Kath Bloom w/ Loren MazzaCane Connors, Richard Youngs ca. May. Songs generally establish and then stick to a holding pattern.
Apparently Smithson's worked with Sunn O)))--would never have guessed!
FCC clean.
Best: 1, 3, 8.
1.Excellent guitar part, nice dissonance. Upbeat-sounding words clash pleasantly with the hopeless delivery and accompaniment. Unstudied-sounding singing.
2.Accordion backing the guitar here. Faster-paced picking, vocal melody slow. Multi-tracked vocals.
3.Very spare; elec. guitar in background.
4.The guitar here even sounds like it could go with a happy song. This isn't one, though does have effective multitracked vocals and self-harmonizing.
5.Prominent elec. guitar, occasional distorted stabs.
6.Similar to 1, less interesting guitar part.
7.Probably the least unhappy-sounding of the songs, and most Kath Bloom-like.
8.Higher-pitched vocals, fragile sounding. More ornate arrangement here—more than two instruments! Bassy synth swells; this track is really good.
9.Somehow the vocals seem forefronted here more than on the other tracks. Confessional.

Track Listing
1. Safer Here   5. Speak Through Me
2. Somewhere Far   6. How Thoughtless
3. Nowhere Near   7. Letter To The Empire
4. Ticking Away   8. A New Day
  9. Crossroads