Stream: Eleanor Friedberger, ‘He Didn’t Mention His Mother’

Jordan Kleinman on November 4th, 2015

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Eleanor Friedberger (Photo by Joe DeNardo)

If you didn’t know Eleanor Friedberger as one-half of the Fiery Furnaces, you should do a little research to contextualize the latest new height in her songwriting. It’s worth mentioning that the duo’s sixth album “Widow City” was the telling foreshadowing of her solo project, which has yielded the albums “Last Summer” in 2011, “Personal Record” in 2013 and, now, “New View,” due Jan. 22 on Frenchkiss Records. Her latest single, “He Didn’t Mention His Mother” adheres to her own mellow approach, compared to the Furnaces. Slightly more down-tempo, the shuffling snare drum paired with the light acoustic guitar and electric piano evoke a sepia-saturated ’70s. Friedberger’s warm vocals are reminiscent of Carole King; one could imagine chatting with her on a large couch in the Topanga Canyon days. This track seems like something you might find in your parent’s collection of old LPs; a mix of easy listening, folksiness and cautious optimism. On the other hand, it could also be the song that would play as you pack your belongings and hop into a car, leaving your lover, driving cross-country and starting a new life. Either way, Friedberger’s singular, forthright voice is inviting.

||| Stream: “He Didn’t Mention His Mother” and the non-album track “False Alphabet City”