Retsin pours forth glistening melodies and sedately impassioned utterances that completely eschew the commercialistic pretensions so frequently found in singer/songwriter-type arrangements. Their 1998 album, Sweet Luck of Amaryllis, is yet another heartfelt document delivered from the souls of Tara Jane O'Neil and Cynthia Nelson. For years, Retsin's members have been enacting veritable love stories with guitars, performing in such bands as the now-legendary Kentucky act Rodan, and The Sonora Pine, as well as embarking on various solo efforts. While Retsin recalls such artists as Ruby Falls, Julie Doiron, and Drunk in artistry, tempo, and timbre, the moderately paced and intimate character of their songs are largely unparalleled. By creating music for those moments sipping whiskey on the porch on a Southern eve or tenderly kissing a loved one, Retsin provides a crucial sensitivity to be prized in an agitated world of impatience and anxiety.
What did you do this weekend?