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Tele Novella hails from Lockhart, Texas (33 miles south of Austin), and their music is so multi-faceted it almost defies description. \u201cCoin-operated medieval pop songs through a 1960s western lens\u201d is how their Twitter bio<\/a> puts it, which gives you some idea. They take country, pop, indie, and folk, and twist it all into delightfully unexpected shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWords That Stay\u201d is the striking opening number of the duo\u2019s new album, Merylnn Belle<\/em> (Kill Rock Stars). On the surface, it sounds like a song about a lost love. But Natalie Ribbons\u2019 dry, husky voice has enough bite in it that you\u2019re left unsettled. Something\u2019s not quite right here. Something\u2019s a little off-center. And that\u2019s the hook that draws you in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The album\u2019s homespun sound is the result of recording on an 8-track cassette deck. Neither Ribbons or her co-collaborator Jason Chronis were keen on doing many overdubs, so minor mistakes were left in, and the use of vintage microphones adds further atmosphere. This record takes you into another realm. \u201cPaper Crown\u201d is a surreal nursery rhyme. \u201cCrystal Witch\u201d is a spooky fairy tale. The soft-shoe shuffle of \u201cTechnicolor Town\u201d is the closing lullaby that sends you off to sleep with Ribbons howling like a wolf. Imaginative, captivating and intriguing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n