Rebecca Pronsky: Viewfinder

Rebecca Pronsky
Viewfinder
Nine Mile
2011-04-19

Rebecca Pronsky mines the well-worn singer-songwriter vein with the assistance of layered instrumentation that provides a full, warm sound that stops just short of being busy. Opener “Hard Times” manages to be simultaneously catchy and somber, while “Mercury News” captures a similar sprightly-but-wistful country vibe. When she taps this mood, Pronsky is at her best.

Her vocals aren’t always the strongest, though — she slides all over the notes on “Day of the Dead”, while “Shame” and “Good Life” are similarly marred. The album loses momentum badly in the second half, with songs like “The Wheel” and “Fragile World” just slogging along. Here’s hoping Pronsky takes the time to work up a full album’s worth of compelling material before taking to the studio again.

RATING 4 / 10