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May 16, 2016 Marissa Nadler By Matt Conner

As intoxicating as Marissa Nadler‘s albums has proven to be for those in the know, it’s a complete mystery why such an acclaimed catalog remains largely unacknowledged. From her haunting early work to the intensely personal July (2014), Nadler crafts a rare gravity with each release. It’s a shame the mainstream eludes her.

Fortunately, Nadler forges ahead on her seventh album, Strangers, with a mix that comfortably sits within her typical sullen-to-sinister range. The haunting echo of opener “Divers of the Dust,” the underwater depth and brilliance of “Janie in Love,” the sparse spread of “Skyscraper”- the heaviness of Strangers’ cuts sink to great emotional depth. The musical levity of “Skycraper” and “All the Colors of the Dark” keeps Strangers from becoming burdensome, although the air dominates all the same.

Nadler and producer Randall Dunn, who served as her producer for July, have worked their moody magic once again. Strangers deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. Here’s hoping Nadler finds it. (www.marissanadler.com)

Author rating: 7/10