Secret Meeting score: 82

by Joseph Purcell

The majestic musical tapestries woven by Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker have undoubtedly been a highlight of the musical landscape over the past few years. Lenker – with her gentle, emotionally-charged voice – has helped pave the way for other female voices with similar heartfelt talent. One such example is Kentucky-based Sarah Beth Tomberlin. Born in Florida to a Baptist preacher, Tomberlin shares not only a supreme musical talent with Lenker, but also calls the Saddle Creek record label home.

Like her label mate, Tomberlin has an intriguing backstory. Having been brought up in a strict Baptist environment and stricken by turmoil over her faith, Tomberlin found inspiration in the music of Conor Oberst’s Bright Eyes. This emboldened her to leave her own indelible mark on the musical landscape.

At Weddings is Tomberlin’s debut collection of powerful tracks, with more than a passing nod to the hymns of her youth. Her creations float on the crest of her emotional turmoil, espousing the subtle melody of a songwriter far in excess of her tender years. This is not Tomberlin being disingenuous; the struggle of faith and the impact of her formative years are clearly channelled through her music. While many people her age may be distracted by teenage angst, this record wrestles with her own turmoil of stepping away from her home, her faith and her family expectations, to create a beautifully pitched debut of wonderful splendour.

Beginning with the churning metronomic guitar, first track, Any Other Way, is a mesmerising introduction, which is followed by the shimmering glimmers of Untitled 1. A subtle finger picked guitar allows the track to float on an endearing beat, emitting spacious waves of mindful reflections.

The record’s zenith comes in the album’s core, beginning with the incredible I’m Not Scared. A track of hymn-like majesty gently caressing the contours of an impeccably played piano to create a masterpiece of serenity. Amid the beauty, Tomberlin wrestles with redemption- ‘to be a woman is to be in pain’, as she weaves her way through a track more akin to a memoir of childhood strife, tackling judgement, her supposed ‘place’ in the world and drug abuse. The echoing strains of her musicianship rumble underneath her finest vocal performance on the album, threatening to breakout yet never quite doing so. It is this marriage of vocal and instrument that highlights the remarkable skills of Tomberlin: to realise that less can often mean more, which in this instance provides a majestic platform for the record’s centrepiece and undoubted highlight.

On the hollow acoustic warmth of Seventeen, and the ghostly howling vocal of Self Help (featuring the multi-talented Owen Pallett), Tomberlin further displays her well-honed talents as she channels yet more experiences of her former life.

Intended by Tomberlin as a vehicle to expel her past, At Weddings provides a cathartic experience for a supremely gifted songwriting talent. Tomberlin’s melodies and gentle snapshots of lyrical poise, highlight her position as a talent that should be cherished. As she hones her gifts and emboldens her sound Tomberlin will undoubtedly grow and embellish upon her debut, and that promises to be very exciting indeed.

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