Pint of Blood

Pint of Blood

Texas-bred Jolie Holland still holds a confident grasp on the nuances of Americana-bred music, but her own singing and writing is far too varied and advanced to fall into a specific genre. She sings from a haunted place. Her vocals, raspy and intense, add shadows to songs such as “Tender Mirror” and “Wreckage.” Her band, the Grand Chandeliers, play a close-knit noir-blues that threatens to topple over on “Gold and Yellow.” Her foreboding fiddle fuels the passion of “June.” “The Devil’s Sake” is a high lonesome tune where Holland sounds like a stranger in her own body. Said to be inspired in part by Neil Young’s Zuma, Pint of Blood has sparse arrangements that suggest a storm is brewing. However, Holland can’t resist adding color — even if they are shades of grey. Closing the album with Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt’s “Rex’s Blues” is the perfect cap to an album of such evocative desolation.

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