if you are not sick from covid-19, then you are sick of covid-19. for me, a dog that likes to look for the silver lining in everything, i’ve noticed my listening habits change in the past two weeks. yes, i’m still as hungry as ever for new, good music, but the way that i approach all that new music is different. i’m more okay with being still. i’m more okay with laying down and just letting the music play. i’ve found myself thinking less about the music and feeling it more. yes, there is a difference.
and with all that said, i’m so happy that Kierstin Sieser is releasing new music right now. her new album, Shark Tooth Moon was announced today, releasing on april 10th, and in the meantime, she has teased us with “In The Reading”, the first — and you can check my math on this — solo song she has publicly made available in several years. you’ve probably/definitely heard Sieser’s music before, whether it is with her band Tiny Ocean (who released the wonderful alt-country album Sometimes You’re Right in 2018) or as a guest spot on other artist’s work (i’m looking at you, Mercy Choir).
“In the Reading” is a change in tone and a change in pace compared to Tiny Ocean. it’s slower, softer, and stripped bare, but it’s just as symphonic as her past work. every note, every instrument has a direct purpose. the real star, just as it is in Tiny Ocean, is Sieser’s voice and strikingly direct songwriting. so allow yourself, if you can, to take a quick break from your quarantine rituals to put “In the Reading”, lay down on your couch, and spend some time in the same headspace as Kierstin Sieser.
stream the song below and pre-order Shark Tooth Moon on bandcamp.
