Mess Esque combines the talents of
Mick Turner of
Dirty Three (and numerous other projects over the years) and Helen Franzmann, who records under the name McKisko. They met through a mutual friend and decided to collaborate, though circumstances meant that while they shared a continent -- Australia -- they were only able to work remotely. This is their second album, and the pattern follows that of their first. It pairs the haunting, barely-above-a-whisper vocals of Franzmann with the sympathetic backing of
Turner's guitar, bass, organ, and drums. He fills the space behind her wandering words with what sounds like a full complement of like-minded musicians improvising like their brains are connected by ESP. It's sparse and loose, but balanced like a tightrope walker, especially on the tracks that stretch beyond the five-minute mark and reach for
Talk Talk-esque realms of feeling. That band is certainly a touchstone for the project, but it also calls to mind late-period
Pastels albums or anything from
Tenniscoats, two groups who also meld innocence and calm while plumbing great depths of emotion. There is also plenty of Australian DNA running through their veins, with songs like "Forever" coming across like a restrained take on the nocturnal grandeur of
Rowland S. Howard's
These Immortal Souls or the epic-length "Jupiter" landing with all the gut-wrenching power of
Nick Cave's best work, minus the histrionics. Franzmann's vocals are more about nibbling around the edges of emotion, feeling like the last words said before drifting off to sleep or mumbled in a dream. It's a good trick that draws the listener in, beckoning them closer and wrapping them in mystery.
Turner never steps on her fragility, bolstering Franzmann's most intimate words with subtle swells of keyboards or gentle stabs of twanging guitar. When she does impart a little more urgency, as on the stunning climax of "Jupiter" or on "Take It Outside," which pushes the tempo and is the most songlike song on the album,
Turner matches her with tighter, more synchronous playing. The duo lock together like they've been playing with each other for years, not first-timers, and the level of quiet intensity they achieve is breathtaking and inspiring. ~ Tim Sendra