Wednesday, March 30, 2011

"Procurement"

Song: "See the Good in Me"
Artist:
Anna Kashfi
Search Term:
"Procurement" [This song is from an album called Procurement]

The Anna Kashfi with whom we are concerned today is not the actress of questionable provenance who was briefly married to Marlon Brando, but rather a London duo who named their band after the actress. I'd never heard of the band's namesake until I went searching for info on this song, but just in case you're someone who has spent more time boning up on the life and loves of Brando than I have, I thought you'd appreciate the clarification.

If this song is indicative of their output, Anna Kashfi sounds like the sort of melodically dark band that I would enjoy very much. Here, singer Sian Webley breathily addresses the violent, decades-long conflict between the IRA and UDA in Northern Ireland, as well as devoting a verse to the KKK for good measure. I can only assume that the chorus, "See the good in me/There must be good in me," is ironic. Musically, "See the Good in Me" recalls the Cowboy Junkies' dronier moments as well as the desolate indie-folk that Steve Albini occasionally produces (e.g., artists like Nina Nastasia or Didn't It Rain-era Songs: Ohia). It's an arid, woozy desert of guitars that's traversed confidently but meanderingly by Webley, with lots of empty spaces that give the listener time to soak in the bloody horrors on display.

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