by Kris Handel
On A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night, New York based multi-instrumentalist Katie Von Schleicher hammers home her already sparkling classic singer/songwriter credentials, harkening back to late 60s/early 70s folk chanteuses. Her last record, Consummation, was full of songs that carried a darkness and anger that had an air of being quite personal, littered with synths, electronic flourishes, and a sense of decay. With this new record, Von Schleicher's songs take a softer approach, full of luscious keyboards and a renewed comfort in the stripped down arrangements, punctuated with thoughtful strings by a familiar collaborator in Gabriel Birnbaum (Wilder Maker). As time has past from Consummation, released in the middle of a hectic and volatile 2020, Von Schleicher is in a more reflective mood, touching on personal growth and strength on these new tracks.
"Cranked" shows Von Schleicher’s vocal range as she swoops from breathy highs to weighty bass tones while bass skitters around chiming keys and blurts of saxophones. She opens up about feelings of uncertainty and interpersonal stressors with lines like "and tell me the world was pure/when it was cranked/treated me like shit sometimes/your mistakes/but oh once it's gone it's beautiful/don't let me set you straight/every day is gray". "Bottle It?" and "400 Pillows" both show off a bit of musical mellowness and wistfulness as acoustic guitar strums between propulsive drumming. Von Schleicher is in a more reflective and occasionally somber mood on both of these tracks with a sweetness amid the uncertainty and struggle of the storytelling, intermingling wonderfully with the restrained backing.
"Every Step is an Ocean" kicks off with Von Schleicher accompanying herself on piano and the distant cries of a police/ambulance siren before a bubbling bass line and drum shuffle push things into full gear. Her vocals float warmly over a string arrangement that is heaven sent, the flitting guitar and keyboards are meticulously placed, and this track shows a remarkably brilliant craftsmanship in every aspect. "Elixir" hits you right off the bat with a great verse of "I wear becoming like a burlap sack/feel sick and dirty want to take a nap/well if I'm carried off to the land of fools/I'm done with oversharing/Now I'm cool.." as multi tracked vocals swoon behind biting upfront vocals. A reverb drenched guitar lead emerges in the middle that juts and stabs before ceasing to relaxed yet strong vocals as Von Schleicher keeps dropping wonderfully sly and self-deprecating lyrics.
Over the years of releases, Von Schleicher continues to transform and manipulate her songcraft in ways that are always exciting and unpredictable, each album has its own statement to make. She manages to continuously tread the line between the beautiful and the ugly with massive amounts of panache and grace. This record has a very cultured and lively atmosphere while still showcasing a swirl of torment staring into the void. The varied landscapes and soaring performances really do everyone involved full justice. Katie Von Schleicher once again shows she really is a powerhouse of a musician and songwriter who manages to be exceedingly captivating and sneakily brilliant. This is a release that gloriously shines in her catalog.