NORTH COUNTRY

I'm not sure how many fans of LARKIN GRIMM are even aware of this obscure debut. On her bandcamp pages she practically disavows it as too raw and squalid, but some of our prized contributions by our favourites are similarly mocked, while their "picks" can leave us just as nonplussed. Right? Well, less so in this case, as "North Country" seems just the sort of album that the Christian/new age cult under which she received all manner of early tutelage might have played at their ceremonies to thin the herd. The title track in particular is a shrine to the Wail Gods, but it doesn't improve all that much from there, a low budget, likely single tracked single minded series of rants, with the longest track's best part being sound effects that sound far less offensive but last longer. Don't let this dissuade you from giving Larkin a chance, but wait until if and when you love her voice for itself through her better known albums.