Brandy St. John goes by the grammatically confounding, pluralised nom de plume
The Long Wives, although she's not always alone. Indeed, the gloom-ridden L.A. songstress has had them artrock stalwarts from the other end of America, Karen O and Nick Zinner in to produce a single or other. Although irregardless of alt-dot-rock royalty featuring on production duties here and there, St. John's more than capable of tugging a heartstring or two as she strums elegiac chords from a twinkling acoustic. Cruel to be Kind, the latest thing to fall from
her Soundcloud, recalls the dulcet allure of Chan Marshall prior to the dawning of
the dimly joyous Sun, and enlightens as it lulls to a slightly disquieting close over four minutes or so. Like Sarabeth Tucek before her, Brandy's tender 'songs about death and love, and the death of love' bristle with a striking clarity as these crestfallen confessionals provoke a palpably corporeal distress. Songs to love without condition.
The Long Wives' Soundcloud.
