Linen Of Words
Self-Released, 2026
9/10
A Belgian-American performer-composer who calls West Virginia home, Annick Odom combines experimental folk, free improvisation, and electroacoustic elements with plenty of Appalachian flavor for these heartfelt and atypical songs.
“How Can I Keep From Singing?” opens with gorgeous vocal harmonies, where Hannah Staniford joins Odom for the graceful climate, and “Springtime In The Valley” follows with many voices layered with strong attention to tonality and a flawless pitch.
“Granny, Will Your Dog Bite?” brings hand clapping and vocal sound effects to the playful delivery, while “Bell Was A Hired Girl’s Name” recruits Odom’s clarinet and Henri Colombat’s electronics for the rich mood.
Further still, “Hello Bill” places Odom on double bass and vocals, where Melissa Coppola’s strategic keys helps complement the spoken word and intimate singing, and “Bingham Bailey” exits with the busiest track, where sax, guitars, vibraphone and harmony vocals surround the rootsy, folky, bluegrass appeal.
The company Odom keeps have roots in jazz and contemporary classical sounds, which helps make for a sonically authentic experience that weaves ambience, timbral attention and narrative fragments into a chamber-folk vision that’s unparalleled.
Travels well with: Kaia Kater- Strange Medicine; Anna & Elizabeth- Anna & Elizabeth