Can Sara Wendt (http://www.citycanyons.com) be properly categorized? Probably not, which is one of the main reasons why "Weightless With Love" has such long-term appeal. Wendt's voice is somewhat ethereal, spirited, and melancholy at times, depending on the mood of the song. Too much singing in the indie world today is fueled by irony and detachment; Wendt lets herself go, and she ends up seducing us along the way.
At her best, Wendt is evoking the surrealistic haze of the Velvet Underground and Nico, as she does on "Pretty Dark Knight" and "King of the Ghosts." "King of the Ghosts" is quite psychedelic, creating a mysterious, foreboding atmosphere a la "Venus in Furs" with its tribal drumming and guitar distortion.
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However, Wendt is no wounded chanteuse a la Nico; there is confidence and joy, not fragility and hurt, in her voice. The Middle Eastern touches on "Pretty Dark Knight" and "King of the Ghosts" are quite striking and uncommon in the female singer/songwriter genre. They show a level of creativity that is much lacking in women rockers these days.
Elsewhere, Wendt tries on different skin, from the Cranberries-esque swooning alternative pop of "I'm For You" to the acoustic folk of "I'll Be Waiting" to the chilling out of "Cool Blue Pools," Wendt has us captivated from beginning to end.
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