Laura Kerry
The Washboard Abs are much softer than their name suggests. The songwriting project of Clarke Sondermann beginning in 2014, they have moved three cities (from Anchorage to Denver to Olympia, Washington); picked up three members (Angelo Vitello on guitars, Brendan Burton on bass, and Grant Chapman on drums); and perfected their breed of gentle indie folk-rock. After a few releases over the years, including 2015’s Whateverland on Slovakian cassette label Z Tapes, The Washboard Abs are back with Recurring Chasms, their fullest and most beautiful work yet.
Pared-down but meticulous, Recurring Chasms is an intimate album. The Washboard Abs resemble Kings of Convenience with clear, delicate vocals above rhythmic folk guitar-led compositions, but they are more off-kilter; underneath the dulcet melodies sung close to the mic are subtle punctuations of surprise and dissonance. “Erosion” sparkles with warmth as the bass and guitar slide over incongruous notes, “Icy Moon” threatens loss of control with moments of expansive jazz chords, and in “One,” bare lyrics hover over dense, unrestrained fuzz. While wildness threatens at the edges, though, Recurring Chasms remains intimate and largely muted. “I control the narrative,” Sondermann sings in the final song, “Veil,” between instrumental reveries, “I’m bleeding through this song.” Through detailed and sometimes unexpected tracks, the inner workings of the songwriter prevail.