The Dark Water Hymnal

(A Kid in Milk)

Leaving his past as Inkbot behind him, electronic guru Jeremy Ballard picks up an acoustic guitar as the Dark Water Hymnal. His self-titled debut dims the lights beneath his whisper and strum, but Andrea Couch’s violin sparks the candles. True to its name, DWH is eerie, melancholy. “Unending Through the Dark” hints at Iron & Wine, as Emily Hurt’s breathy voice comes into play, but the remainder of the album, with the exception of the anxiety-inducing repetition of “Wheel Within Wheel,” suffers limited range. Commonality becomes structure in what should be free form. Where bands like the Besnard Lakes exude haunted darkness, Ballard’s dim-lit room merely throws shadows.

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This article appears in October 19 • 2007.

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