Classically trained musician Nandi Plunkett can do a lot with little. In this debut track from her now released EP, Future Joys, we see the bedroom musician creating a scope so big that it's hard to imagine anything but a full studio or a live audience behind her. Her voice is comforting, placating, and vibrant in ways that contribute layers of nuance to the track, “Wooden Horse”, which makes us think of Plunkett as a musically inclined Helen of Troy, using her wiles to woo us. The song is a particularly shimmery one, with key changes and pitch shifts that make it not your standard ethereal piano pop song. “Wooden Horse” has an icy heart and clear eyes, and while the ambient noise lying under it all makes it feel like it could stay frigid, it lights up with color and life in due time. And it's well worth the wait.
Half Waif has their EP release show tonight at Spectrum, followed by two upcoming shows at Union Hall and Death By Audio. The debut EP, Future Joys, which is a shoutout to Flaubert, was mastered by Greg Saunier of Deerhoof. You can check out a short chat we had with Plunkett last fall about mixed heritage, Cirque de Soleil, and getting to work with Saunier here.
