Today we wanted to share some of a recent review of The Curios‘ album “Pillow Book” from Performer Magazine. We will excerpt some great parts from the interview and review and encourage you to read the “spotlight” in its entirety on Performermag.com.
From Performer Magazine:
The Curious Case of The Curios’ Pillow Book
By: Rose Fellom-Morris
Nancy Hall says she spent many a day chasing the “demo fairy” into the studio while recording The Curios’ latest record, Pillow Book. Singer, songwriter, and acoustic guitar player for the band, she finds the studio to be one of the best creative spaces. “I love writing with my bandmates,” Hall says, smiling behind a cup of her favorite black tea. “I bring in a song, think it’s finished and they’ll bring something I could have hardly dreamed of – that’s all part of the creative process.”
The sound of Pillow Book is clean and crisp, with a classical flair added by bassist Jim Kerwin, and catchy rock/blues twists from the rest of the group. Hall’s vocal style could be compared to the likes of Norah Jones or KT Tunstall, but what makes her different is her ability to transcend normal vocal patterns. Finding as much fun in the space between the notes, her melodies divert from all typical paths and her voice runs through this uncharted territory with soul.
Parvin and Hall seem destined to remain musical soulmates for life. They met as teenagers, and have been together musically ever since. Their connection is apparent one summer night as they are recording one of Hall’s latest songs, “I Can’t Stop Dreaming,” at a friend’s studio. Hall’s voice, an instrument tuned to perfection, rings out alone on the microphone: “Restless, singing, the ocean is empty, and I can’t stop dreaming.” Parvin glides his fingers along the keys, meeting her words with feeling, accurately and precisely contributing theatre to the lyrics, as if he knows the same story.
The song is being recorded along with a slideshow that presents faces of fisher-folk from around the world, and will be shown at a benefit for fishers affected by the Gulf Oil Catastrophe. Hall describes herself as always torn between activism and music, but it is this tear that adds a sense of reality to The Curios’ music…continue reading the article in its entirety on www.performermag.com