Ida

New York’s veterans of intimate folk bring depth through sonic vulnerability.

Quietly crafting against the grain of a culture impressed by musical overstatement, Ida returns bearing another vulnerable collection of songs. The absence of melodramatic sentiment or a “production as song” mentality renders Lovers Prayers a bold statement on the exacting power of naked human expression. The impact of the group’s signature vocal harmonies has only grown with the confident allowance of natural breaks and wavering. Appropriately, the performances are filled with creaks and jostles that fold in a conversational undercurrent, providing each track a sonic world to inhabit. Unfortunately for those seeking immediate gratification, the songs can appear uninteresting or blandly quaint at first. Instead of firing a cannonball, Ida incites a painfully slow wade into the rewarding complexity and thoughtful content of its often minimalist compositions.