Album Review: Lady Lazarus – Mantic

Lady Lazarus

Album Review: Lady Lazarus – Mantic
By Evelyn Anne Clausen

There are albums that pull you in instantly, with their wit and easily accessible charm. Then there are albums that ask you to sit and listen, sometimes patiently, before their spell is fully cast. The latter is the case with Mantic, the first full length LP from Lady Lazarus, a San Jose native who taught herself to play the piano only three years ago.

With music that is classified as “experimental” and “minimalist”, Lady Lazarus has garnered comparisons with such lo-fi artists as Daniel Johnston. The comparison is apt, but unlike Johnston, Lady Lazarus does more than simply write lovely songs. She delivers her musical gems in a beautiful package of warm and impassioned vocals and piano playing that, though faltering at times, is as expressive and emotive as far more experienced artists.

Listening to Mantic feels as though you are eavesdropping on a talented friend playing and singing in an empty room, late at night. There is an almost guilty pleasure in the music, as though each song is too personal for anyone else to hear.

Tracks like “The Eye in the Eye of the Storm” and “I Couldn’t Find Me In Anything” are plaintive and confessional, at once musically start and emotionally rich.

As an album, Mantic takes a little getting used to. The piano playing is frequently stilted and stuttering and on many tracks, the lyrics are all but undecipherable, but for those listeners who are willing to sit back and let the music pull them into its dark and charming corner, this album offers a unique and stirring experience.

Editor’s Note: Evelyn Anne Clausen is a contributor to DeadJournalist.com. Her reviews will be seen on this site on a regular basis. You can follow her on Twitter @evelynanne or via her Web site easbrain.com.