Carina Round’s an incisive songwriter and an absolute dervish of a vocalist, but for a decade now she’s escaped acclaim. It’s a number of things: getting mired in merited-but-dismissive PJ Harvey comparisons (early albums) then Glen Ballard slickness (Slow Motion Addict, minus the tremendous “Stolen Car“), arriving a few years behind trend, lacking the co-signs that’d let her dodge that. (Her critical-assessment slot this year went to Screaming Females, apparently.) It’s a shame, because Tigermending is her best work in years: by turns spooky, steely, weird as hell and tremendous as its opposite. That last is “Girl and the Ghost”: post-apocalyptic intro, vocals like thunder strikes through silence, backing vox like Greek fire, words hellbent on finally getting up from rock bottom and a chorus that provides that push. It’s anthemic without the associated clichés, quirky without being feeble, and goddamn if I didn’t, don’t need half these things shouted at me this year. And if it’s too short and acoustic, there’s always the Puscifer remix. From: https://thesinglesjukebox.com/carina-round-girl-the-ghost/
