Asheville-based indie-folk singer-songwriter Carly Taich is also preparing to launch an album at The Mothlight this week. Reverie (available online Friday, Oct. 27), with its proclivity for tasteful rock beats anchoring a wilderness of melody and texture, is a challenge to nail down stylistically, but it’s right at home in this era of strange weather patterns, social division, hearts laid bare and creative pursuits lit like bonfires against the autumnal dark.
Reverie draws from the magic of the natural world (as in the thrumming intensity of “Roaming Stars,” in which Taich sings, “I stayed up all night to watch the sunrise, and it dawned on me…”) taut musicianship (the orchestral rocker “WISE,” with Alex Travers on violin) and any number of existential forces (the affirming “Give Me a Likeness,” on which Taich sings, as if conjuring a spell, “Out with the tragic, in with the magic”).
There are hints of Tori Amos and, more contemporarily, Florence and the Machine. Taich knows how to build songs that serve as backdrops for her formidable voice, but she’s also a fanciful and thoughtful writer, delving into complex imagery and social commentary without ever losing touch with pop sensibility. That balance of artistic integrity and accessibility is not easy to master, but Reverie remains lithe and open.
The musician describes her sound as “whimsical, fervent and, at times, spooky” — another reason it’s perfect for Halloween week. The album’s velvety darkness sparkles. The impulse to dance is hard to quell. Reverie inspires revelry.
For her album release show, Taich will be joined by her band — Travers and members of Midnight Snack, who also played on the recording, for a night. Clint Roberts from Nashville will open the show on Thursday, Nov. 2, 9 p.m. $8 advance/$10 day of show.
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