Solo album by Libby Rodenbough, where have you been all our lives?
You likely know Rodenbough as a fiddle player and singer in Mipso, Chapel Hill’s favorite progressive Americana band, so it’s a little startling that Spectacle of Love, due out May 29 on Sleepy Cat Records, is her first solo LP—not only because she’s a local fixture, but also because her solo sound arrives so fully formed.
The first single, “Tell Me How,” is out May 1, but we’ve got the premiere today, and it’s quite the heart-breaker. Rodenbough drapes an arresting vocal performance over a gently rolling acoustic strum, held together in a loose, spacious arrangement with her signature lyrical strings, Phil Moore’s glimmering piano, and other graceful embellishments.
The combination of regal patience and chamber-music glimmers reminds me of the dreamiest side of Sam Amidon, and it promises a record where an extended instrumental palette is going to give Rodenbough a chance to shine in new ways. We can’t wait.
Contact arts and culture editor Brian Howe at bhowe@indyweek.com.
