Becky Ninkovic

Woe

Paper Bag Records

Becky Ninkovic’s debut solo album is a testament to grief, but not in the way you’d expect.

Dark and gloomy, Woe is inspired by Ninkovic’s mental health breakdown following the death of her friend and You Say Party bandmate, Devon Clifford.

Having suffered a brain hemorrhage while performing onstage, Clifford’s untimely passing and the grief that followed permeates the album. Yet the album contains no allusions of grand wallowing or self-pity.

A strange sense of discomfort and urgency uplifts through repetitive drum beats, ethereal electronic experimentations and Ninkovic’s strained yet commanding vocals. Consider “Carrier,” the disjointed and broken track is evocative of a warrior chant with its repetitive chorus.

Woe is intentionally awkward, experimental and raw. With hazy electronic sounds broken by primal drum beats and lamentations, it’s a far cry from easy listening. Then again the soundtrack to grief should not be easy.

Ninkovic’s album betrays this human condition with rebellious flair. Woe is not for those seeking to wallow in sadness, but rather to rob it of all value and run for higher plains.

Best Track: Drums

Kathryn Helmore

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