Ida

My Fair, My Dark EP (Polyvinyl)

By Noreen Sobczyk
Published: August 27th, 2008 | 9:03am

Ida have provided a rich-sounding yet simple album of beautiful harmonies and solid songwriting that transcends musical trends — case in point, the track “Road To Ruin” uses hand claps to delightful effect as the main instrumentation. Here, and throughout this EP, Ida sounds completely at ease with the craft of songwriting. Just the slightest touches of piano and percussion, or a cymbal here and there, are blended with skill and restraint.

“The Pain Of Loving You” is perfect fodder for a sing-along. Who sings brightly about the angst of love? Ida does — and it’s not only good, but undeniably catchy. The song was clearly written by someone whose frame of reference has a sturdy patina. If you aren’t singing along to this modern version of mountain music, you don’t appreciate a simple folk tune (and you’re probably no damned fun).

A live recording of “Late Blues” begins (after an unfortunate and awkward 50 seconds of silence) with the line “If I get lost on the way to meet you,” and continues with, “If I let you down...” but somehow manages to avoid sounding like a laundry list of a lover’s poor excuses. The subtle musicianship throughout My Fair, My Dark is well served by harmonies which are sturdy, yet delicately woven.

The sparse but compelling instrumentation of “The Darkess Night” [sic] sounds — to chilling effect — like an electrical storm. The vocals and violin don’t commence until two minutes into the track and one doesn’t even notice their absence, which is brilliant for a non-ambient album. “Still Life” is the album’s most ‘70s “hippie dippy” sounding track; but the production, blended with the steadily ascending and somersaulting harmonies, manages to make it sound slightly more modern and less like something that might have inspired A Mighty Wind.

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