The Blackened Air

Nina Nastasia | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 9, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Touch & Go Records
• ASIN: B000063IVO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,079 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, June 1, 2002

By 

"luridiot" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blackened Air (Audio CD)

Although Nina Nastasia's voice is beautiful and the instrumentation stunning and unique, it's the songs that make her special. She has a keen talent for words, knowing when to skirt a weighty subject with semiotic mysteries and knowing when to tell it like it is.

In Oh My Stars, Nastasia portrays in a removed manner, an afternoon in a girl's life where she witnesses an unnatural phenomenon that marks her. Later she is preyed on by a watcher in her home, whose plans for her are thwarted (or perhaps not) by her father. The two unusual events put together suggest an alien encounter, or maybe a romanticized account of a young woman losing her virginity. The vagueness of the story is startling. In Been So Long, Nastasia addresses her mate directly, expressing her resignation that their relationship has lost some of its magic, yet proclaiming that her faith is not shaken. It is spoken flatly, and to a poignant result, "I don't know if we'll ever be free like that first year we spent/but I know I can't live without you/I still love you".

The Blackened Air is of consistent strength all the way through. There isn't a weak song, no fissure in Nina Nastasia's concept, writing, instrumentation or performance. Nastasia is a seasoned songwriter whom many are sure to emulate, if her body of work continues to be this good.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intoxicating..., August 28, 2002

By 

Thomas Shea (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Blackened Air (Audio CD)

A friend of mine who recommended this album described it as "Gillian Welch backed by the Dirty Three." While Nina Nastasia's style is not as retro-country as Gillian's, they both share a dark Appalachian inflection in their deceptively ordinary-sounding voices which get richer with every listen. The impeccable Steve Albini production and dramatic instrumental, mostly-acoustic backing (including cello, accordion and musical saw) is indeed reminiscent of Dirty Three at their finest. I would highly recommend this to fans of either or both artists.

Like most great art, the more time you spend with Blacked Air, the better it gets. I dare you to find a more gut wrenching tearjerker this year than the album closer "That's All There Is."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible album that seeps under your skin and stays there, July 24, 2002

By 

Mr. Paul D. Maher "joey-chickenskin" (Nottingham NG7) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Blackened Air (Audio CD)

At All Toorrow's Parties I saw Nina Nastasia and although I knew I liked it, I foolishly left as I was hungry. This is now up there with not going to see Bill Hicks and buying a Stiff little Fingers Ticket rather than a Nirvana ticket in 1991. When I first played the album a couple of the songs caught my attention but then I started to play it to chill out and the whole thing began to sink in (couple of tries instant gratification fans) the storytelling shakes you up as the beautiful,delicate voice reveals a world-toughened interior with a realistic view of life. One at a time you get infected by each song in a random order until you spend a week with them chiming in your head while walking through your day-to day life. Albini's done an incredible job with a beautiful bass-drum heartbeat throughout and the harsh edges of the most delicate instruments (violin & Saw) reflecting the same qualities in the delicate but barbed vocals. The darkened heart of a poetic soul will give you more tension, fear and warm sorrow than anything the bands who pretend to embrace darkness will ever come up with. Incredible.