scout-paré phillips: door left open

The second LP from the elusive Brooklyn-based chanteuse Scout Paré-Phillips. Crashing crescendos of guitar, autoharp, cello and keyboards, combined with acoustic and electronic percussion by longtime musical collaborator, Emil Bognar-Nasdor (Dawn of Humans, Røsenkopf), provide a lush backdrop befitting Scout’s torch songs, complimenting the rich timbre of her classically-trained voice. A photographer, filmmaker, model, songwriter and vocalist, Scout’s solo career evolved from her illustrious foundation as a trained opera singer as well as songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and backing balladeer for the Baltimore based, post-punk/country act, The Sterling Sisters. The daughter of a Mississippi country singer, her contributions as vocalist and bass player helped to distinguish the Sisters as tightly-woven, dark, surreal Americana. Scout’s array of musical talents were ready to be unleashed with a solo effort. Scout’s force-of-nature quality and vocal control bring to mind a modern-day Joni Mitchell. Her style stems from professional training combined with a natural ear and affinity for unique and alternative instrumentation. Using autoharp and baritone guitar, Scout’s songs harken a modern, dark yet feminine version of some of history’ s most revered acoustic legends, such as Leonard Cohen and Sibylle Baier, as well as prolific and poetic lyricists like Nick Cave, Rowland S. Howard and Diamanda Galas.