The Devil I Once Knew

Album Review

Devil I Once Knew, Heidi Saperstein's Kimchee debut, is a flinty statement as stark as its cover art. PJ Harvey's influence on Saperstein is considerable. But what the world needs now is more danger in its female singer/songwriters, 'cause the folksy-rocksy fallout from the followers of Ani DiFranco and the Lillith Fair crowd can be hard to take. Thankfully, Saperstein keens closer to PJ, Patti Smith, Eleni Mandell, and Thalia Zedek — hers are love songs on a knife edge ("Away"), and stories told in boldface noir ("Put Our Lips Together" rhymes its title with "hips together"). Devil I Once Knew is just as adventurous instrumentally. Muddy vocal effects and production tweaks enter the picture for the atmospheric "Sister 2," while "Ten" moves on the waves of a wobbly string section. "Cello" reprises the same track later. "Sister 2" and "Sister Split" are sonically connected, too; each features piano plinks stabbing at wiry guitar and textured percussion. But the songs are also purposely separate — there's something Dead Ringers-spooky about that "Me and my sister are joined at the hip" line. Saperstein has a strong debut on her hands — Devil I Once Knew is at once powerfully dark and prettily brittle.