A split of singer songwriters with six songs by Absinthe Rose and five by Humanwine: Rose has an uncanny likeness to early Ani DiFranco with acoustic guitar, trembly vocal cadences, and folk punk leanings. Here the chords are more textured than her previous effort; however, the first three song melodies run into each other, making it difficult to distinguish one song from another. Holly Brewer, or Humanwine, takes a turn into a deeper, darker thicket confronting free speech, counter surveillance, and fear mongering. Each song has a distinct tempo and male background vocals are tossed into “Death Wish for the Impostor” and “Our Devolution Is Televised,” which I particularly enjoyed for the strings. The minimal instrumentation on “Breath” paired with her haunting vocals perfectly conveyed the isolation and doom of the lyrics. By comparison, Humanwine has made the fortuitous moves that Rose hasn’t.
–Kristen K (Rodent Popsicle, rodentpopsicle.com)