White Hinterland: Phylactery Factory

Label: Dead Oceans

After releasing a well-received debut album in 2006, 22-year-old singer-songwriter Casey Dienel decided to retire her solo persona and record her second album as part of a band. With vocals like hers, though, she’ll always be in the spotlight; her intimate delivery of nuanced slurs, trills and half-whispers is immediately captivating. On Phylactery Factory, her jazzy piano-based pop is filled out by subtle drumming and the occasional swell of strings and horns, while she regales us with stories of neighbors fighting, soldiers returning home and the vivid world of her dreams. While Dienel has been compared to a host of other female musicians, including Joanna Newsom, Feist, Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell, she has already established herself as a singer with not only a unique voice but a unique vision as well. (Kiri)