Rough Dreams
Shivaree's quaintly titled debut,I Oughtta Give You a Shot in the Head for Making Me Live in This Dump, offered a respectable run through self-deprecating Americana. But on her sophomore disc, singer-songwriter Ambrosia Parsley takes a seismic leap forward. Embracing distorted electronic breakbeats, quietly tuned gothic ornaments, and heavy-lidded torch songs, she carries out a metamorphosis similar to the one that producedRadiohead's masterpiece,OK Computer. She comes on likeBillie Holidayon the rustic techno-folk of "Wagers," blooms intoJoni Mitchellon the soulful "After the Prince and the Showgirl," and mixes sugary doo-wop harmonies with a grim sonic landscape on "John, 2/14." This is a weird and languidly addictive record.--Aidin Vaziri