Fog Area, by Anne Malin is here to gut your winter.
Somewhere in the depths of the Renaissance backwoods you might find the Fog Area, or it could be offroad in a Massachusetts forest preserve, or possibly, a place only accessible after listening through the new album by Anne Malin.
Out of South Bend, Indiana Anne Malin makes music that could top a category called creep-folk. The voice and namesake, Anne Malin Ringwalt, also plays acoustic guitar and autoharp. She is joined by William Ellis Johnson who plays guitars, organ, synths and also mixed Fog Area. When released October 12, the album will be the duo’s fourth full-length in the past two years.
“When Flesh is Enough” gently pushes Fog Area on an electric lake with a frog somewhere ribbitting.
The voice, Anne Malin, reads a poem of haunts introducing the listener to the Fog Area. Wherever the Fog Area is, the only guiding principle through may be Malin’s voice. She presides over these nine songs like a witch dragged in to the altar. She’s calm with her vocal expression, but always leering with anguished melodies; free like Vashti Bunyan, but with a deeper register and a forested uncertainty.
On “Aubade” Malin’s voice wavers along with an organ rhythm pre-set and dented arpeggios.
The trance comes on like a flash flood and feels disorienting like chasing a cat through an alleyway in moonlight with any idea why. The rising tide of sustained organ and Malin’s voice can draw quick similarities to Beach House, but with much worse intentions and less feel-good haze.
Fog Area concludes with three beautiful ballads, “Endless Road,” “Chance Creek,” and “All Will Be,” each one sadder than the one before it.