January Album of the Month: Natalie Prass

Natalie Prass opens her debut album with the words “I don’t feel much”, and spends the rest of the album’s forty-minute run time singing to the world about how much she feels the the pain of her breakup from Kyle Ryan Hurlbut, who plays in Kasey Musgraves’ band. In what is ostensibly a breakup album, Prass comes across like a real-life Disney princess that had her heart wounded by failed relationships. This comparison is solidified in the closing track, ”It Is You”.

Break-up albums are the best kind. It’s just what was happening and I had to deal with it somehow
– Natalie Prass
Prass's blend of country and soul with lush instrumentation provided by the house band at Spacebomb Records is something that feels instantly recognizable, yet comes together in a distinctive way. Her voice is stunning and provides these set of songs exactly what they need but she is not a powerhouse vocalist in the classic sense. Instead, it fits in the middle of the mix somewhere; floating on top of the instrumentation à la Lauren Mayberry.

Whatever the reason for the shelving of this record, it’s hard to feel bad for record companies when they sit on incredible albums like this for three years. Natalie Prass cuts through the noise of the constant race for attention that is the indie blogosphere and delivers a record that sounds like an instant classic.

9.1/10

Other notable releases
Björk - Vulnicura | 8.9/10
Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper | 8.1/10
Phantom Posse - Home | 8.6/10
Viet Cong - Viet Cong | 8.3/10

Let us know what you thought about the selection in the comments below. Was there anything that we overlooked?