Flock of Dimes – The Life You Save (Sub Pop) (13th Floor Album Review)
Jen Wasner takes a soulful, searching look in the mirror in Flock of Dimes’ therapeutic The Life You Save, a slow burn that rewards those who stick around.
This is the third album under the Dimes banner from the prolific multi-instrumentalist best known as the guitar-wielding half of Baltimore indie-rock duo Wye Oak and working with Bon Iver. Wasner had intended to follow up 2021’s heartbroken Head of Roses with a collection of songs chronicling other people’s struggles. But she ultimately came to realise her perspective was not that of an observer but as a participant who was anything but an innocent party.
The Life You Save is a record about addiction and co-dependency in which Wasner examines her own flaws, her ego and pride, reaching an acceptance she can both love people and not be able to save them. Her shrewd songwriting ensures listeners are spared any maudlin over-sharing. These songs are thoughtful, frank self-examinations, not gushing confessions. There is a steely confidence and conviction in both Wasner’s voice and lyrics that bring Sharon Van Etten, Jenny Lewis and, at times, Joni Mitchell to mind.
Recorded in North Carolina and Los Angeles, Wasner produced the record herself, joined by Alan Good Parker on bass and guitars, Jacob Ungerleider on piano and synthesizers, and Matt McCaughan on drums and electronics. The opening track and second single Afraid is indicative of the album. The vocals are front and forceful, lifted above delicate guitars, synths and electronic textures that provide a gentle propulsion that straddles both pop and folk. “I did not enter this world afraid / I refuse to leave it that way” is the first of many defiant decrees.
Wasner can certainly craft a rousing chorus and Keep Me In The Dark swells and shimmers its way to near perfection. It’s a cracking track about best intentions gone awry that demonstrates her awesome vocal range, phrasing and sense of melody. But I expect Defeat – the latest single – to garner the most repeat listens. The liveliest song on the record, its layers of distorted synths give off strong Haim vibes, but the crunchy guitar flourishes are pure Wasner. It has an energy I find myself wanting more of as the album plays out.
Many of the tracks are slow to mid-tempo, and there was a sense of sameness on my first couple of listens. Subtle hooks do soon reveal themselves, such as the evocative wordplay in the chorus of Not Free Yet or the expressive guitar on Pride. But the anodyne beats and textures on Close To Home feel emotionless and at odds with Wasner’s evocative delivery and lyrics. More intriguing is the arrival of Parker’s lap and pedal steel on The Enemy and Theo, which give a hint at what a more rootsy Jenn Wasner album might sound like, while the stripped-back closer I Think I’m God is a stunning example of how less can be much more. I tried to hit every red light on the way to work so I could keep it in my ears longer.
“I think I’m God / I know I’m not” sings Wasner as if she’s standing on the edge of a cliff, accepting her life’s disarray is as natural and unspectacular as everybody else’s. The freedom and catharsis she finds is effectively, often beautifully, conveyed through these songs.
Matthew Dallas
The Life You Save is out now on Sub Pop Records
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