Irmie Vesselsky – Parentheses of Antitheses

Parentheses of Antitheses

Artists: Irmie Vesselsky (p, voc, backing voc), David Hebenstreit (viol), “Mister L.” (strings, synths & rmx of “unheard”, beats & percussion on 1), Stefan Geister (dr on 4 & 9), Carl Bodenstein (beats & perc on 8 & 9)

Quiet reservation at first, then followed by a powerful intensity – emotions crowd together on Irmie Vesselsky’s debut album. With the power of her voice and magical piano melodies, the Lower Austrian singer/songwriter presents 12 touching songs about her life.
Vesselsky’s music is full of variety, melancholy and execution. The contradictions are what strike a chord as well as the 25-year-old’s apparent ease in recounting them. “It’s a story of adornment, a story of bewilderment,” she laments on her opener “The Knife” to then follow with the intoxicating and optimistic “World Without Fence”, which gives in to the dream of freedom. Through the emotional highs and lows of life, Vesselsky takes the listener on a wild and passionate, and then gentle and fragile journey. Images full of feeling are created like the memorable melodies, which seem to have been appeared out of nothing.
Reduced but intense passages mark “Parentheses Of Antitheses” for example the sad “Scorpio’s Kiss”, where music and voice disperse harmonically. This is a game that Vesselsky masters quite well: as if voice and piano were dancing only to lose touch and then in complete joy find their way back to each other once again. Violin passages are mixed into this dance again and again, played by the FM4 musician Sir Tralala. The effects are made by Vesselsky herself: understated but effective.
This album should be enjoyed with an open heart for “Beauty is a rare thing!” (Ornette Coleman)