Purest Spiritual Pigs- Purest Spiritual Pigs EP

ARTIST: Purest Spiritual Pigs

ALBUM: Purest Spiritual Pigs EP

LABEL: Self-released

REVIEWER: Matthew Johnson

DATE: 9-21-07

Purest Spiritual Pigs is essentially the solo project of songwriter Helena Thompson. Although she brings numerous collaborators into the fold for her experimental live performances, the only musical guest on her self-titled debut EP is Lenny Gonzalez, who contributes screechy guitar feedback to the noisy art-rock of "Picking Myself Up." Apart from that, Thompson's songs are, though low-fi, more on the bleak and mellow side, a little like a female version of Michael Gira's post-Swans project, The Angels of Light. On "Burnt Through," her voice is a slow, moody drawl accompanied by an equally depressive bass guitar, while the overdriven guitar chorus on "Remains" combines the angst of riot grrrl music with the druggy haze of shoegaze; think of a more talented Courtney Love on a whole lot of downers. It's hardly the most fun you'll ever have listening to a record, but it's hard to fault Thompson for that, and it's even harder not to be impressed by how well she's able to express a host of emotional miseries through such seemingly deadened vocals and guitar chords.

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