Thalia Zedek's Mesmerizing Been Here and Gone
Although Thalia Zedek's been performing music for more than 20 years, it wasn't until she joined Live Skull in the mid-80s that she began receiving the recognition she deserved. Even then, the albums the band was releasing were ahead of their time and didn't get noticed as much as bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, who were also creating somewhat inaccessible records. Forming Come with Codeine's Chris Brokaw and releasing Eleven: Eleven in '92 was what pushed Zedek's career to an all-time high among both fans and critics.
Zedek and Brokaw playing together is like magic. The dynamic between them is something that doesn't happen often, and the albums they released as Come will always remain some of my favorites. They're timeless, and Zedek's voice is absolutely amazing. Her first-ever solo release Been Here and Gone is no less remarkable. Comparable to Pall of Black Heart Procession's voice, hers, too, is hauntingly beautiful. Musically, Been Here and Gone is similar to Black Heart Procession with its stripped-down instrumentation, use of piano and strong lyrics. With the accompaniment of a viola, slide guitar and trumpet, Zedek's songs come off as folky blues numbers deeply rooted in rock 'n' roll.
The orchestration here reminds me of Come's final release Gently Down the Stream. Maybe that's because Brokaw's playing electric and slide guitar throughout the album. The feeling of the disc is best summarized in the first track, "Excommunications (Everybody Knows)," when she sings, "I just want to talk to you a moment/what you have to say/leave me alone/leave me alone/I'm better off this way/I just want to know what you remember/don't want to make you stay." On a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love," we get a jazzy cabaret beat with taunting lyrics reminiscent of Nick Cave's powerful "Red Right Hand," but the seven-minute-plus ballad ends with crazy Ukrainian-sounding viola.
By far the most striking track on the album is "1926." Also a cover, it begins with a solo piano and examines the pain one can experience from a lost love: "We used to be lovers a long time ago/Your God hates me/He can't feel my flesh/he leaves me panting like a dog at the edge of your bed." Performed live, these songs are more powerful than words can describe. Last fall when Zedek played Tonic she sat poised on the stage. Her eyes were sunken, with dark circles like she hadn't slept in weeks. She also smoked continuously, adding a nice raspiness to her voice. Her set consisted mostly of covers, including a Cohen song or two. With only a guitar, piano and percussion, she played some of the prettiest songs my ears have heard?the seated crowd was mesmerized. Been Here and Gone recaptures that moment. Even a song like "Treacherous Thing," which is full of sorrow, comes off sounding pretty. Captivating and bittersweet, Zedek sings, "I know you miss me/treacherous thing/I know you forgive me...the disappearing kind/the ghost of your smile/it's been here a while/I hate your lies/still hypnotized...I know I can't win."