By the time she utters the final words to “Heartpaper Lover,” you’re already in love. And you’ve only known her for a little over four minutes. On her fourth full-length, Little Hells, Boston-based Marissa Nadler mesmerizes and bewitches the listener like few today can. The 10-track album is intoxicating and haunting, familiar yet otherworldly. And fans of Eisley, Maria Taylor, or Holly Conlan should take note—Little Hells could quite possibly be their next fix.
After the aforementioned “Heartpaper Lover” has ended, it’s hard to imagine that someone could have crafted an entire album full of tracks as hypnotic as that first one is. But Miss Nadler did. And as the album plays on, each track has its own effect on the listener, each one forbidding you to hit the “next” button. And while it may be hard to pick any standouts, there are those that are perhaps slightly more intriguing than others.
Take the follow-up to “Heartpaper” for example. “Rosary” sees Marissa whispering her way through a heartbreaking tune, all the while being backed up by a group of angelic voices doing the same thing. If you didn’t fall completely in love after the first track, this one will finish you off without a doubt. Later on into the album, another standout, “River of Dirt,” starts playing. This one is a slightly more folk-y sounding track that allows Marissa to sing more than whisper, but the end result is still the same.
And as the final seconds of “Mistress”—the album’s closer—play through the speakers, your finger is already hovering over the “next” button, set to play the entire album over again from the start. And when you do, you fall in love with new aspects, new parts you hadn’t heard the first time through. I suppose that’s how most of the truly great albums are. And Little Hells is definitely that.
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