Come Down

With a voice that shares a timbre with Marianne Faithfull and a musical backing swamped in mystery and evocative reverb, Tara Angell crafted one of the best albums of the early '00s. Produced by acclaimed singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur, 2003's Come Down is curiously idiosyncratic. The conversation behind "Bitch Please" adds a nightclub ambience worthy of The Velvet Underground. "When You Find Me" captures a shoegazer's broken heart with a simple, forlorn melody, while Angell's vocals cut through the sorrow with the feel of broken glass. "Hollow Hope" throws a Rolling Stones–esque guitar to the front of the mix. "The World Will Match Your Pain" sports a funereal organ to match the lyrics' plaintive heartbreak. Each tune builds a narcotic buzz that becomes more alluring as the songs rub up against each other. "You Can't Say No to Hell" strips away the reverb to let Angell's voice step out in front. Said to have been recorded in just five days and released two and a half years later, Come Down is a must-have for lovers of sad-eyed ladies who write melodies that entrap the unsuspecting listener.