Nataly Dawn, one half of the Stanford-born musical duo Pomplamoose, is coming to The Chapel on Tuesday, November 15.
The Chapel appearance is one of only four dates spanning the left coast from LA to Seattle in support of her second solo album, Haze. Released on October 28, Haze is the follow-up to her 2013 solo debut How I Knew Her.
Her new album opens with a stripped-down single mic recording of Dawn strumming a brooding blues tune before a deep and sorrowful string arrangement lifts the recording off the floor. The song, and the rest of the record, continue with a sense of urgency, despite the lyrical and emotional, well, haze that persists. Dawn’s rich vocals often can be found layered in multi-part harmonies that stand out among the piano riffs and static of an everyday life.
There isn’t a song over four minutes, making the 10-song release a breezy listen that gets brighter and more bubbly with every track. Despite the overarching lyrical themes in “The Audience” of loss and separation (of self and others) there are positive reinforcements in lines like: “I sleep just fine on my melatonin,” “there’s a honeybee lodged in my ear,” or “so my back will twitch like a dissected fly.”
Dawn’s witty observations and her unique interpretation of heavy, emotional thoughts continue to be her primary charm, drawing critical comparisons to the likes of Elliott Smith and Ingrid Michaelson.
Joining Dawn at The Chapel will be SF’s own Lauren O’Connell. O’Connell has three solo records under her belt, the most recent being 2012’s Quitters. She has collaborated previously with Dawn under the moniker My Terrible Friend, an EP of them being released in 2010.
Opening the show will be Santa Cruz original family duo of Ryan and Kaylee Williams with their group The Native Sibling, winner of the 2014 iTunes Best Singer/Songwriter album award for their full length debut Letters Kept To Ourselves.
Nataly Dawn, Lauren O’Connell, The Native Sibling
The Chapel
November 15, 2016
9pm, $15
P.S. Want more show recommendations, ticket giveaways, and music news? Sign up for our biweekly newsletter!
