The Bollard Bulletin for February 17, 2025
Local Music Monday: Dead Gowns cleans out their closet
Local Music Monday
It’s been well over six years since the Portland indie folk-rock group Dead Gowns dropped their stunning New Spine EP and singer Geneviève Beaudoin’s gymnastic voice stopped the entire state in its tracks, but the band has yet to release a full-length album of new material. I don’t know why, but neither am I nosey enough to find out. As a fan, I’ll take what I can get, and the Gowns’ new compilation of tracks recorded between 2020 and ’23, It’s Summer, I Love You, and I’m Surrounded By Snow, has a bunch of songs I know I’ll be digging for many years to come.
Like the opener, “How Can I.” Beaudoin’s gorgeously lethargic introduction unfurls halfway through into the kind of gloriously ragged rock displayed on their great 2022 single, “Renter Not a Buyer” (not included here). Same with the rocky and sorta strange “Wet Dog” and brawny “Kid 1,” which first appeared two years ago. “Brother” is an achingly beautiful ballad.
Beyond this, on Side B, the album drags a bit, weighed down by lovely but slower, more ponderous numbers like “Burnout,” “See People,” Brother 2” and “Sand Plumb.” The Casio tone and drum machine on “Swimmer” are interesting and hint at the cool electro-dance singles Beaudoin and guitarist Luke Kalloch made with Spencer Albee a few years back as Bell Systems. An intriguing road not taken.
“In the Haze” and “Bad Habit” are solid examples of the direction Dead Gowns is heading — out into the fertile fields of alt-country. With a fuller band behind her, including bassists Nat Baldwin and Alex Millan (depending on the track), drummers Peter McLaughlin and Ricardo Lagomasino, and pedal steel star Hamilton Belk, Beaudoin can do no wrong. I’d buy an album of her singing the phone book (or at least stream it for free), and I’ll follow this band wherever they roam.
Music
In honor of our current Commander in Chief, it appears every musician in Southern Maine won’t be playing a show this Presidents’ Day save Shelly Coombs, who’s singin’ and strummin’ some country music startin’ at 6 p.m. at Three Dollar Deweys. Don’t hold that against her. Instead, get a taste of how good a singer she is via this week’s Sounds of the City playlist, created by Peter Jacobs using listings compiled over at Portland Noise, which has tracks by acts scheduled to play in Portland from today through whatever storms roll through and cancel their gig by Sunday.
Performing Arts
Portland Stage presents Murder on the Links, a comic adaptation of an Agatha Christie murder mystery, at Portland Stage (25 Forest Ave.) at 2 p.m. Tix: $30-$57. 774-0465. portlandstage.org.
Happenings
A panel discussion by horror novelists E.K. Sathue, Eric LaRoca, Clay McLeod Chapman and Dennis Mahoney at Print (273 Congress St., Portland) at 7 p.m. Free. 536-4778. printbookstore.com.