Album:
Run to Ruin

Artist:
Nina Nastasia

Lable/Year:
Touch and Go, 2003

How I Came by It/Why I Purchased It:
Well, after hearing her vocal turn on the Boom Bip album, I was intrigued about her music. And I’m always interested in Steve Albini’s work, and since he was behind the boards on this one I figured it’d be at least interesting production wise.

My Feeling at the Time of Acquisition:
I’m really don’t recall how closely I listened to it. For some reason it didn’t really strike me.

My Feeling about It Now:
You know what, it’s a pretty amazing record. It’s a pretty complex record for something so unassuming and gentle on the surface. She’s got a great voice first off. But beyond that the songs are thoughtfully arranged and all the playing is top notch. On the surface the touchstone would seem to be folk/acoustic, but it somehow avoids the usual cliches that of the singer/songwriter genre.

Standout tracks:
“On Teasing” “Superstar” and “You, Her and Me” are all great tracks.

Duds:
Honestly, I’m not wild about “I Say That I Will Go” – the hook is great, but the melody of the verse is a little cloying.

Album/CDs/MP3s Fate:
This has definitely found its way back into my collection.

Capricious Digital Lo-Fi rating:
Really strong album.