6 Probabilities for Success

Half Waif is Fully Loaded

 

1.  “Half Waif’s compositions have taken on a more immediate pulse live, rooted in the meeting of acoustic and electronic elements: booming drums & bass surging against a textural wall of pitched digital blips & sparkling synths” (BandCamp).

 

2.  Charles Innis said, “Plunkett places a disarming level of emphasis on different syllables, as if she’s pressing buttons with her voice. She warps, twists and wraps her vocals around electronic instrumentation like it’s trapped deep in machinery, and the whole track seems to teeter between serene and hyper-robotic tones” (Stereogum).

 

3.  Andrew Sacher said, “’Nest’ has more than a few hinds of Julia Holter, while most of the album is up a more similar alley to My Brightest Diamond/early Sufjain/etc” (BrooklynVegan).

 

4.  Noting Plunkett’s voice as calling card, Tom Johnson said, “Dreamlike, vague and warped it might well be but it’s undoubtedly her vision and that in itself brings a pin-point sense of clarity and is the reason we, as outsiders, still manage to draw so much from it” (GoldFlakeTapes). Click HERE to read his thoughtful article.

5.  Zubin Hensler, producer of Probable Depths, broke down his method to capture unique sounds – click HERE to read his full comments. Hensler said, “The idea is to use ‘found sounds’ in a way that is not a gimmick, or purely as an aesthetic choice, but as a way to create a sense of place that influences the songs. This sense is clear in music that is recorded in a very identifiable place, like in a cathedral or a field or live at a club, but I wonder if it’s possible to abstract that feeling” (ZubinHensler).

 

6.  Plunkett’s vocals catch the listener’s attention. Paired with Hensler’s found-sound genius, Half Waif leads the audience through a layered experience of mixed proportions. Promising to “love you best,” Half Waif weaves a protective “Nest” around loved one’s to ensure their safety. Utilizing the strings, Half Waif pulls on emotional indicators nestled deep within the brain. “Probable Depths” continues Plunkett’s vocal mission, captivating the senses teased by piano keys. Echoes and synth texture explode around 1:50, and reveal an extra level of aesthetic attention.

 

“Nest” by Half Waif from Probable Depths:

[bandcamp width=400 height=406 album=918998464 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=63b2cc artwork=small]

 

Album Release:

Probable Depths released 6 May 2016 and is available on BandCamp. Click HERE to purchase the cassette with Digital Download for $6.00.

Tour Dates:

Click HERE to purchase tix from BandsinTown.

 

Shout to Sources:  DrunkenPiano,  BandCamp, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, @Zubin Hensler, Gold Flake Tapes, Bands in Town