![blackvelvet [mp3] Introducing // Madeline Gather the Feathers](http://www.madelinesongs.com/etc/blackvelvet.jpg "[mp3] Introducing // Madeline Gather the Feathers")
Madeline Adams has recorded using just her first name for the last decade and recorded with a host of accompanying musicians. Her music has been released in collaboration with such luminaries as the Elephant 6 collective (Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control), Phosphorescent, and Phil Elverum (Mt. Eerie). And despite a host of influences as clear as Neko Case and Johnny Cash/The Carter Family, what’s striking is how much her music is all her own, focusing strongly on her unique vocals and musical voice.
There’s something dark and immediately striking about “Gather the Feathers” beyond even the subject matter of the lyrics, which discuss the debris left by dogs who attacked and consumed the narrator’s chickens. “Bury the bones in the boneyard,” she sings ominously during the song’s lilting chorus. “Gather the Feathers” has a rich, deep tone, complemented by strong bass and Madeline’s absolutely gorgeous and haunting voice. By the 2:30 point in this song, when she asks plaintively, “How could you? In my home? In my yard?” the song reaches its lush climax, and striking cello beautifully fills the spaces between the rather soft guitars and light rhythm, allowing her voice to carry a feeling of shock and desperation.
The comparison to Neko Case is a good one on this song, but I’m reminded of Kristen Hersch’s solo music as well. Not all of Madeline’s songs are quite so haunting as this one, with many nicely modernizing the classic folk and Americana feel, but that haunting tone and mood is what drew me to this so quickly. “Gather the Feathers” is a lovely song bearing multiple repeats.
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Madeline // Gather the Feathers [mp3] from Black Velvet
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