Azita - How Will You? / Longlife Echinacea & Goldenseal Tea
Azita's newest Drag City release How Will You? finds the singer in a markedly stripped down setting, accompanied by her own piano, bass, guitar, and drums. The context serves her well, highlighting her singular voice and songwriting and laying bare the elements of her music without excessive garnish.
It's a timeless equation, the simplicity and warmth of the arrangements inviting the listener in to complete the music's equation with their presence and attention. It wouldn't work if Azita didn't possess the clarity of vision that is apparent in her songs. It would ring hollow and perhaps feel lacking in flesh. None of these concerns are present on How Will You?
Lyrically Azita is particularly hard to pin down. She obviously takes great care in the sound of the words and how they fall in relation to the melody and harmony of her songs. In terms of content however, they oftentimes resemble Steven Malkmus' Pavement era lyrics, where phrases make "sense" in and of themselves but are sometimes disjointed in the context of a whole song. A dreamy mist pervades the lyrics, a veneer that separates the underlying reality from what we are allowed to see.
Her band consists of John Herndon on drums, Emmett Kelly on guitar(s), Matt Lux on bass, Rian Murphy on percussion/drums, and herself on piano and vocals.
How Will You? is a refreshing affair. A beautifully singular voice paired with thoughtful songwriting, and a diverse program of songs that differ in energy but are united in sound and purpose.
I chose to pair it with a bagged tea from Long Life teas, an organic blend of Echinacea and Goldenseal. It also includes some mint leaves and eleuthero root. The mint was the primary flavor that came through, although there was also an earthy almost hay like undertone that pervaded the whole cup. I'm hoping it might help with my allergies which are in full bloom right now. I found it went well with Azita's album, although something with a bit of caffeine might have paired better.
For your listening pleasure, posted with the express written permission of Drag City Records:
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