Smoke Fairies
Blood Speaks
Year Seven Records
Street: 03.26
Smoke Fairies = Band of Horses + Heartless Bastards
Coming into this album, I had my doubts. "Blood Speaks" felt like a period anthem, with the lyrics, "Your blood is speaking, and mine is speaking,” set to a marching beat with a droney, chanting voice fit for a haunted church performance. Yeah, the sheddings of my uterine lining are speaking, too, and I’m still crampy. And yet, “Version of the Future” feels very apt for the times, and the duo of Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies address the contradictions of feeling alone even though you’re surrounded by people, and the like. These slow ballads had a hint of bluesy twang, but it translated as cheesy to me. I also found it strange that their Film Reel song is on the US album twice (this was previously released in the UK). Sure, the second time around it’s listed as a "Remix," but after listening to them side by side, the differences are so minute that it felt like posting the exact same picture that you just barely posted on Instagram, using a different filter for the “remix.”