Indie artist Thao Nguyen has a quirky personality and an intelligent swagger. She is known for her powerful delivery and awkward, albeit melodic, vocals, and one cannot help but fall in love with her quirks. Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, who goes by Mirah on stage, has a more folk-ish style, with a breathy and lively voice. This duo has performed on stage in the past, but this week they will release Thao & Mirah, their debut collaborative album.
After singing together at San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival in 2010, Nguyen and Mirah established themselves as a pair who uses their differences to complement each other. The music they create becomes indie-folk, highlighting the talents of each woman.
Nguyen and Mirah have been able to find common ground between their roles as singer-songwriters. After their San Francisco show, they toured together with The Most of All, serving as a backing band.
Though each has a distinct musical identity, Thao & Mirah is not only a successful collaboration, but also an experiment with sonic experimentation and honest lyrics. The sonic feel comes from Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. As a co-producer of Thao & Mirah, Garbus also wrote the single ""Eleven,"" the album's first track.
One can easily identify how Garbus is present on the album: The best tracks that Nguyen and Mirah produce together are where their styles blend into one, letting their voices fuse. The unique instrumentation balances each song's dance-ready beats, taking the listener's mind off of the subtle heartbreak that embodies most of the lyrics on Thao & Mirah.
The music and vocals on ""Eleven"" set the tone for the whole album: A juxtaposition of disarray and beauty. Like synthpop, ""Eleven"" has a groovy and open feel. The main message is sung as ""When love is love / it won't go away."" A lot of indie bands are known for having cheesy emotional lyrics, however Nguyen and Mirah's lyrics continue to be shrewd, expressing love's many facets.
In ""Teeth,"" Nguyen's singing is layered beautifully, creating a heavy effect with echoes and synthesizers. Hands clap along as she sings ""Let me loose, I say,"" over the repeating loop of an acoustic guitar. Nguyen is staying true to herself, not willing to compromise. She is ready to let go and will not change her mind.
The album slows down with its penultimate track, ""Hallelujah."" Again Garbus' production talent is showcased through the combination of guitar, shakers and even clinking wine glasses. Mirah sings: ""You wake up hungry in this world you made … how could you be turned away,"" adding a small political sentiment. She continues with, ""Can't throw your body up against glass / but you can't stop the rain from pouring in / once the cracks have been made / still time to sing hallelujah.""
""Squareneck"" is the final track, named after the guitar used in the song. The conclusion of this album is undoubtedly indie-folk, with a penchant for blues guitar and a rickety beat. The vocals from both Nguyen and Mirah blend well, often making it difficult to distinguish which of the artists is actually singing, showcasing just how well these two individuals have learned to work together.
In the beginning Nguyen and Mirah were almost incomparable, but Thao & Mirah proves to be an alluring compilation. Looking at Nguyen and Mirah on paper, the two singers could not be more different, but their final product is a success. Thao & Mirah has no formal definition; it will continue to be defined by its listeners.
