Emily Manzo is a classically trained pianist known for performing compositions by Susie Ibarra and John Cage, among others; self-taught guitarist Christy Edwards did time in various NYC indie-flavored rock combos. Despite learning how to play their instruments in different ways, Christy and Emily both approach them with a sense of experimentation and curiosity. They want to see what sorts of sounds they can make with them, how to exploit those sounds, how to make something musical from noises that seemingly sound non-musical. It's no coincidence then that for their latest album, No Rest, they chose a producer who knows a little something about exploratory shenanigans: Faust co-founder (and Klangbad co-owner) Hans Joachim Irmler.
No Rest sounds best when the group serves these adventurous impulses; yet when C&E play it straight, their songs suffer. These lackluster moments often occur when focus is shifted from the music to voice and words. Both Christy and Emily have indistinct yet sweet voices that work together well. However, they're often paired with simple-to-a-fault lyrics (see the hokey folky "Sundowners" or the equally rustic "Idle Hands"), which does neither them nor listeners any favors. Sometimes, the music can overcome these shortcomings, as on "Firefly", whose minute-plus bookends of guitar and gently descending Wurlitzer makes up for C&E's breathless vocals and repetitive lyrics. The enjoyable approximation of third-album Velvets on "Beast", the lovely duet between electric piano and violin on "Guava Tree", and the stuttering organ-like loop behind "Kings & Monsters" help make the wordy missteps bearable.
Thankfully, C&E often create vast and evocative spaces that do the talking for them. And on their best songs, the lyrics benefit from exacting discipline. Instead of wearing a pencil down to a nub trying to find an answer to a line like, "What if there's no fire where there's smoke" (from "Little World"), they simply sketch around its edges and let the listener fill in the blanks. Album closer "Amaryllis" is the best of these, abetting the haunting Medieval player-piano melody with quiet, amelodic guitar and fragmented lyrics. When the song returns to its more atmospheric portion, however, the contrast provided by the sped-up interlude helps to make its coda that much more unsettling.
In this light, it's not surprising that they chose to cover Tom Brosseau's "Here Comes the Water Now". It's a charming tune that ably displays Brosseau's conversational wit, as well as his way with an arrangement. Christy & Emily simplify the already spare song even further, letting the its lyrics and melody proudly stand on their own. And while this cover serves as a fitting tribute to Brosseau's talents, it also seems to serve as a blueprint for what Christy & Emily ultimately want to achieve in their own songs. No Rest is still more uneven that one would hope, but it's a definite step in the right direction.
