Townsend Records

Leona Naess

Thirteens

CD £6.99

May 11, 2009

The fourth long-player from singer/songwriter Leona Naess is as evocative and moving as its self-titled predecessor. The 11 songs on THIRTEENS were reputedly selected from an enormous catalogue of material, which accounts for their variety in color and approach. Yet THIRTEENS also plays as a cohesive whole, unified by sensibility and feeling. Naess's gauzy voice and precise, introspective lyrics give these songs a delicate, homespun quality. Whether on the spectral "Ghosts in the Attic," the breezy singalong "Leave Your Boyfriends Behind," or the lo-fi electro-pop of "Un-named," Naess impresses with both her songcraft and skill in creating a mood of deep intimacy.