Charlie Martin and Will Taylor are masters of micromoments, of capturing the ennui of the familiar. Follow up to Taster, Hovvdy’s 2016 debut, Cranberry traverses much of the same narrative and musical territory as its lo-fi, slowcore predecessor, but more ambitiously. Taylor’s voice is sharper here, the plainspoken poetry of his lyrics brought to the forefront of nostalgic fuzziness. That gentle melancholy often conjures Elliott Smith, particularly “Petal,” with Taylor’s wistful refrain, “I had a feeling for who you used to be.” From the quiet pedal steel on “Truck” to the intricate, quivering guitars opening “Swing,” the material plays out longer and varied, allowing the muted instrumentation to breathe. Cranberry delivers pointed observations through soft focus.
This article appears in February 9 • 2018.