Thursday, August 13, 2009

Album Review: White Wolf Sonic Princess - This Car Available

photo from White Wolf Sonic Princess MySpace page


White Wolf Sonic Princess is comprised of Carla Hayden and Jimmy M., who also founded the avant garde theater group Black Forest some years ago. In live performances, they’re often backed by other musicians, but on This Car Available, a digital album for sale on iTunes, it’s pretty much Carla on vocals and percussion, and Jimmy on vocals, guitar, bass, and percussion. They drift through 13 indie rock songs like a couple of hipsters.


In many ways, White Wolf Sonic Princess is a natural progression from the duo’s theater group. In recent years, Black Forest’s shows have morphed into multi-media affairs that combine drama with live music and film. Even when you weren’t sure what was going on in a Black Forest production, Carla and Jimmy’s engaging stage presence and clever dialogue pulled you in. This Car Available likewise offers consistently fun and imaginative word play, usually set to slinky, sparse arrangements. Carla does most of the singing, affecting a seductive drawl on the title track, while crooning beautifully on the acoustic “Surfer Boy From Illinois,” which also features Bacchus Blue on harmonica. Jimmy sings lead on the funny “My Baby’s In The CIA” as well as the Hollywood satire “Elston Gunn Is Banished From Eden,” a song taken from a Black Forest play. “Behind Closed Eyes” is the most theatrical track on This Car Available, spinning spiritual imagery via Carla’s spoken word delivery and a jazz arrangement.


Carla Hayden and Jimmy M. can be seen at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre’s Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Festival, as Black Forest presents its newest production, The Drugs, on Saturday, August 15th at 7:50PM and Sunday, August 16th, at 3:45PM.

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