Castlemusic @ CMW 2009

Background/Composition:
Castlemusic — the solo work of Jennifer Castle — has been inappropriately dubbed "ambient country" by some wayward, label-crazy critic. The mood, soul and blues that roll around Castle's melancholy tales cast far darker shadows over the airy wistfulness that "ambient country" seems to imply, which makes sense for a one-time collaborator of Fucked Up.

Grade: 82

Comment:
Opening the night, Castlemusic completely entranced the early-comers with her delicate, beautiful and mournful voice. Her somewhat sloppy approach to bluesy, country guitar playing is the only accompaniment such a songwriter needs, though anyone who's heard her recordings had to miss some of those sweet harmonies.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: S
Pronunciation: G
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: G
Image: G
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: S

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Though her eyes were mostly shaded under the bill of her baseball hat, Castle seemed to effortlessly connect to the audience with her stark, stripped down performance. People slowly gathered around the stage, increasing the intimacy by sitting on the Gladstone's floor like kids at story time. Watching Castle sway and dance while leaning against a tall stool was endlessly charming, proving simple sometimes works best.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: G
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: G
Work Habits: G
Organization: E
Audience Participation: G
Sound: E
Composition: E
Songs: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Armed with just her voice and a guitar, Castle's songs flit and meander around, scorning common structure. There's nothing in her songs that's necessarily new, but they're timelessly beautiful and skillfully crafted.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: G
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: S
Sexiness: G
Haircut: G
Indie Rock Footwear: S
Nods To Disposible Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: G
Level Of Inebriation: S
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
It would be interesting to see where Castlemusic might go if other musicians were to flesh out some of the material, but adding unnecessary layers to the bare bones songs might be the completely wrong direction to take anyway.