by Matthew Gilberto
Sadie Dupuis has built a decade-long career on challenging listeners to expect the unexpected. Her past songwriting work with Speedy Ortiz has always highlighted this through quirky melodies, highly varied arrangements and clever lyricism, forming crunchy, sidewinding tunes that end up in places vastly different from where they began. This is indicative of someone who has formally studied her craft and, coupled with an outspoken involvement in encouraging diversity and empowerment within that craft, has positioned her as one of the most prolific voices in contemporary indie music.
In 2016, Dupuis began her solo project, Sad13 (pronounced “sad 13”) and released the self-produced LP, Slugger. The record was a blunt ode to self-sovereignty and the feminist cause backed by a contrasting hyperpop aesthetic absent of Speedy’s sonic discordance.
For the most part, Haunted Painting sees a return to Slugger’s accessible hooks and abundant instrumentation but with much more focus, refinement and filled space. Written and recorded in various places during 2019, the record finds Dupuis chewing on some bitter pills of that year, both political and personal, and it unknowingly resonates very strongly amidst 2020’s glum backdrop.
Take for example the now highly relevant single, “Ghost (Of a Good Time),” self-described as a “glossy party song about wanting to stay in”. Dupuis gives her case for the introvert over sparkling synths, mood-swinging time changes and cheery ad-libs provided by tUnE-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus. On the catchy chorus progression of “WTD,” which is perhaps the album’s highpoint, she calls out the ignorant culprits of climate gentrification, singing “And if I've had enough of flora and fauna / then what is the drama?” Dupuis explores even deeper emotions on tracks such as “Good Grief” and “The Crow” written respectively in response to the untimely deaths of her father and the late musician, David Berman. The latter, with its odd signature, hard hitting digital drums and detuned distortion is Haunted Painting’s most ‘haunting’ moment.
From a production and engineering perspective, Haunted Painting features an intentional and insanely talented female-led supporting cast. In addition to Garbus, guest vocals were also added by Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof. Mixing was done by Sarah Tudzin (Weyes Blood, Illuminati Hotties), mastering by Emily Lazar (Beck, Dolly Parton) and engineering by Erin Tonkon (David Bowie, Esperanza Spalding) and Maryam Qudus (Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, mxmtoon) among others. Zoë Brecher (Total Slacker, Oberhofer) takes drum duties with Dupuis handling all other instrumentation.
The title of Haunted Painting itself gives us a glimpse into its quality. More often than not the purpose of creating is to reflect upon difficulty. Dupuis’ music invites us to find light in darkness and inspires us to keep pushing on in the company of ghosts.
$1 per sale of Haunted Painting in 2020 will benefit Prevention Point Philadelphia, a harm reduction organization providing free medical care, syringe exchange, shelter, overdose reversal training, and other vital social services. Learn more about them at ppponline.org.