Into the Dark Unknown, the 12 song cycle from Portland, OR based singer/songwriter Holcombe Waller, is a strange and wonderful album. Based on Waller’s folk performance piece performed at the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, the collection also includes a cover of Canadian Cree musician Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Qu’appelle Valley, Saskatchewan.” Tying the works together is Waller’s distinctive soprano, which capably captures high notes as well as a wide spectrum of emotion. Accompanying Waller’s vocals are acoustic guitar and finely orchestrated strings, which are keenly sensitive to the subjects at hand: loss and heartbreak. Into the Dark Unknown is a fine work that resonates long after each listen. – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | Antony and the Johnsons, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, The Healers, Project Nim