by Amy Rowe (@bathbinch)
A lot can change over a decade. This is the case for Annie Sachs, aka Tickley Feather, whose latest record 123 has finally dropped, over ten years after she recorded it with Animal Collective vibe masters Dave Portner (Avey Tare) and Josh Dibb (Deakin). Sachs’ lulling, lo-fi bedroom pop songs -- which she recorded herself using thrift store-bought keyboards and a 4-track cassette player many moons ago -- have been elevated to new, weird heights across nine tracks on 123.
Throughout the record, nature is reflected in its lush soundscapes and song titles. Sachs’ ethereal voice is the one constant -- while at times her lyrics are unintelligible, it’s easy to get lost in her meditative cadence. Portner certainly brings the dynamism with the instrumentals, and his signature is there from the jump on opener “Cow Man.” The song kicks off with an assertive voice (probably his?) shouting “GO!” before Sachs’ voice flows along with darkly trippy synthesizers and crashing beats.
If there’s a love song on this record, it’s “Wish.” Sachs croons a clear-as-day, yearning message: “Think you were born to be the one, the ray of sun I always knew, I hope that I will feel with you a wish that I can hold you to.” Portner’s guitar and synths electrify the track as Sachs’ lyrics foray into lilting, repetitive territory.
“Red Kimono” is another repetitive tune, but it’s a thumper. Portner conjures dark organ sounds likely inspired by the church-studio 123 was recorded in. There’s something novel about the way Sachs delivers the song title over and over again, which is later complemented by what sounds like the electric harp. Another standout is “Mossy Mouth,” a short track that makes an impact with Sachs’ shoegazey, melodic voice cutting through Portner’s looping rhythm line and field recordings.
The old adage “good things come to those who wait” surely applies to 123. While it takes listeners on a trip down memory lane, with familiar sounds from a bygone era, it also breaks new ground for Tickley Feather, and she should celebrate that.