Don’t Look Too Close
Self-Released, 2020
8/10
Listen to Don’t Look Too Close
A Texas native who now lives in Nashville, Natalie Schlabs knows her way around an emotive, country influenced tune, and here she expands her horizons into indie-rock territory across 9 very well thought out songs.
Schlabs starts the listen with the soft, romantic “That Early Love”, where her pretty pipes guide the gentle, reflective mood, and the title track follows with an upbeat display of beat driven indie-pop that’s immediately memorable.
In the middle, “See What I See” resides closer to folk territory as breathy vocals complement the warm acoustic guitar steering the cautious spirit, while “Endless Love” enters lullaby status as Schlabs sings with a sweet, moving delivery.
Closer to the end, one of the most upbeat tunes, “Home Is You”, glides with breezy melodies and a timeless Americana approach that also flirts with pop ideas, and “Ophelia” exits the listen dreamy, where Schlabs’ flawless pipes are surrounded by pensive instrumentation as she addresses the loss of a child.
An elegant, forthright and intimate listen, Schlabs has an impressive and versatile voice, and her songs resonate with sophistication, intelligence and family oriented subject matter on this very well executed effort.
Travels well with: Cf Watkins- Babygirl; Sarah Morris- All Mine