Thin Thin Line

iTunes Review

Kath Bloom is an amazing, obscure American treasure. She recorded many albums with avant-garde guitarist Loren MazzaCane Connors back in the 1970s and 1980s, not returning to public life until 1999 after director Richard Linklater used her song “Come Here” in his film Before Sunrise. 2010’s Thin Thin Line comes just two years after the exquisite Terror. Joined by her band, Love at Work, Bloom sings songs with a powerful emotional pull. Her voice bends with determination as it wavers in the breeze. The title track begins things with a sweet folk melody, but it’s “Dangerous Days” where things take on a foreboding minor key resonance. “Heart So Sadly” adds a swift kick to her sorrow. It’s difficult to tell whether she’s about to laugh or cry. “Is This Called Living?,” “Let’s Get Living” and “Another Point Of View” show Bloom careening all over the emotional spectrum. Her deep emotionalism can be heartbreaking or profoundly humorous. Her honesty is surrounded by beautifully simple arrangements that give her all the room she needs to get her feelings across.