New Releases: Tamar Berk

Tamar Berk has been one of my favorite accidental discoveries of recent years--I stumbled across her with last year's Good Times For A Change, already 4 releases into a prolific run--and as with contemporaries like Vanessa Peters, or forerunners like Amy Rigby, she crafts mature music that's not afraid to sound a little lived in. Her latest, OCD (out officially next month but available to preview and pre-purchase on Bandcamp), has the feel of a woman who's been through some shit, and is just tired, dammit! As she sings on one of the record's standout tracks, "There Are Benefits To Mixed Emotions," "I'm not my best today, feeling unwell today, I need some rest today, can't stand my face today." She lays on some raw emotion, not afraid to pull you in.

But what I like most about Berk's music is her avoidance of the more obvious musical choices. Sure, she could've strapped on an acoustic guitar and tried to emulate Aimee Mann, probably would sell a few more records, but instead Berk draws from her 80s and 90s influences for a more varied pop & rock sound. This time, she mostly skips the more obvious post-new wave affectations found on Good Times (a few synth hooks aside), instead offering a more layered 90s/00s alt.rock vibe, some strains of dream pop or shoegaze around the edges. Opener "Stay Close By" kicks things off with a heavier, almost grungy vibe, thick guitars and driving drums, elevated by some lovely, wispy vocals. But she also dials down the emotional intensity just enough to keep things light, alternating more percolating pop tunes like "You Ruined This City For Me," "Indiesleaze 2005," and "I'm In The Day After," compelling indie pop that sugarcoats the sometimes palpable sadness.

I particularly like where she covers all the bases, songs that start as heavier heart-on-my-sleeve numbers but cut loose into swoony, high-production epics, most notably "I Had A Dream I Was Lost In An Auditorium."

It's one of those personal albums where you want to kick back on the couch with the lyric sheet, but catchy enough that you can throw a few tracks onto a mixtape in the car and just hum along.

Check out OCD, and the rest of Berk's discography, over on Bandcamp.

Here's the video for "Stay Close By," which just dropped today:

Preview "I Had A Dream..."