Review: Madeline- White Flag

Roughly three and a half months ago, March 10th 2009, Athens GA native Madeline Adams released her third record, 'White Flag', on the Orange Twin label. If you don't remember hearing the tracks off Hype Machine, reading the rave blog reveiws, or seeing the interview on Pitchfork, thats probably because, well, none of those things ever happened. In fact, Madeline doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. Seriously now, you don't even need a publicist to get that one right. An Allmusic.com search will yield an almost completely undeveloped page where one of her albums (unreviewed) shares space with the soundtrack to the children's cartoon (not by her). So you may ask how, in a time when the indie community seems so starved to drench their young starlets in attention, does she go so completely unnoticed?

Possibly it has to do with the scene she is struggling to emerge from. Though Athens will forever be an anomaly, a phenomenom if you will in terms of its musical output, those hailing from will forever be tied, at least subconciously, to the Elephant 6 collective. Recording for Orange Twin doesn't help, a label run by members of Elf Power, one of the cheesier outfits of the collective. So is she being tossed off as yet another among a zillion revivalist popsters? Unlikely, as one listen to her music reveals a smart, sharp, embittered yet empathetic writer, of americana folk tunes.

What possibly, do those idolized "starlets" posess that poor Madeline lacks? Feist, Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, St. Vincent... None are particularly better looking, and certainly none are better songwriters or musicians. But wait; Broken Social Scene, Rilo Kiley, The New Pornographers, Sufjan Stevens... Do I dare go so far as to say that one must first sing for an independently accomplished rock group before it is possible to be accepted as a legitamate solo artist in the indie community? Even Cat Power did collaborations with members of Sonic Youth and The Dirty Three. Either that, or I suppose she should take up the harp...

The only other thing that could possibly be holding poor Madeline back is the quality of her music, which at last brings us to our review of her most recent record. You've probably already guessed it by now. The record is great. Granted however, this is not the first time around the block for the songstress. In 2002 she self released her first full length, 'Kissing and Dancing'. Playful, laced with tin can percussion, joyful harmony, and that small town America school girl self conciousness, Madeline had given us a highly enjoyable if unpolished album. Five years later she followed it up on Orange Twin with 'The Slow Bang'; a short, nine song outing. This release differed in that it was completely stripped bare, almost hauntingly so, but amazingly poignant. 'White Flag' boasts the cleanest and fullest production of the three, but not at the expense of the emotion her music has always been capable of.

"Sorry" opens the album with possibly the only time Madeline has been apologetic. It is a soft note to start on, and segways neatly into "Telephone Daydream", the first pop tune she's penned in 7 years. There is not a low point to be found on the album. "Lit Elephants" continues with tender charm, "This Train" uses the peculiarity of Madelines voice as a hook in itself, and "Shotgun Wedding" pairs a bare bones arrangement with the singers typically tough sensibilities to tell a tale of the South. At this point we encounter the albums two soaring highlights, "Jive Talking" and "White Flag". On the former she croons a tale of disenchantment, and on the latter lets her voice soar in a tune of resolution, as if the two are intentionally intertwined. The rest of the album follows along similiar lines while avoiding the pitfalls of overt repitition. "Rain, Fire and Brimstone" is as tough a tune as she's ever written, even more so than the like minded "You Can't Break My Heart". "Mountain Heart" gives outlet to the most straightforward folk tune on the record, harkening back to early Iron and Wine, before "Black Out" ties things off.

Your typical female singer/songwriter honestly doesn't get much better than this. Jenny Lewis and Zooey Deschanel would probably give their big toe to have penned some of these tunes. I would think that the "indie community" would be starving to drink up this talent and claim it as one of its beloved own, as opposed to leaving poor Madeline with the anonymity she now possesses. Here is what I propose: Madeline Adams, Nina Nastasia, and Courtney Kaiser all form a post punk New York girl group and go on tour with The Arcade Fire; as heinous as this would be, maybe then these fine artists and their work will get the exposure and recognition deserved.

Best Tracks: "Jive Talkin", "White Flag", "Rain, Fire, and Brimstone"
Rating: 9/10