Phases & Stages

Glasser

Cameron Mesirow extends her invitation thusly: "If the walls were too thin, you would break right in." The hypnotic beat of "Apply" lures us into the first room of the Brooklyn singer's intimate debut LP, and we spend the rest of Ring in one of her design. While there's a certain loneliness to these electro ballads, she's quite inventive with her vocals, using them as interior design, coloring each room a different shade. "Home," with its delirious xylophone accompaniment, adds to the labyrinthine feel, as does Euro-synth lament "T" and its symphonic chorus of Mesirows. "Mirrorage" is essentially the center of Ring, a feat of inspired layering. At one point it sounds as if she's stumbled into a room full of wind chimes, but the effect is unique, more part of the architecture than New Age filler. A smart debut that's fun to get lost in.