Karrie Hopper, An Unusual Move

Karrie Hopper sings old-fashioned sounding folk songs reminiscent of Palace-era Will Oldham. She has a pretty, unaffected alto voice that sounds somewhat innocent and childlike, although the songs are not. Her songs are mostly personal in nature. An Unusual Move features her on acoustic guitar, with some occasional unobtrusive accompaniment. It’s also in a pretty package that looks like Edward Gorey playing with a wood-block press.

Beyond the packaging, though, her lyrics are particularly interesting. “True Rider” is a remarkably evenhanded song about a solitary man and a woman that loves him — but where many people would side with the woman that loves him, she also understands his nature and instead sings:”Someone should tell her that he rides alone
So that she knows
Cause what can you do… with the heart of a martyr?
At least she’ll know so that she doesn’t develop any hopes
And she can let him go on.”

A reasonable solution, although love doesn’t always work that efficiently. Admittedly, the rider on the horse is a major Palace motif, but the melody is pretty enough that it works anyway. Similarly, “An Unusual Move,” a song about learning to take chances, has this wonderful chorus:”When you dance, dance, fall to the floor
It’s an unusual move
Try not to think, plan or decide
Move however you move”

Which, in my experience, are not the normal instructions you might be given for a dance.

An Unusual Move is an impressive debut, and Hopper’s definitely got a lot of talent. If she can move away from the Palace inspiration a little bit, she’ll really have something going.