Marissa Nadler makes weird and lovely folk-twinged shoegazey songs with one foot well in the realm of traditional English balladry. But before you get scared off, take a gander at the vid above, a performance of "Diamond Hearts," the first track off her latest album Songs III: Bird on the Water. What grabs you from the get-go is her siren's voice, heavy in echo and reverb and strongly reminiscent of Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). That remarkable set of pipes ain't all Marissa's got going for her. Over time, she's refined and expanded her sound to incorporate mandolin, cellos, various percussion, electric guitars, and synths. Her atmospheric, melancholy songs led Pitchfork to call Songs III: Bird on the Water "one of the most focused and engaging singer-songwriter releases so far this year." more ›