True crime retold

D.B. Cooper was a man who did the impossible: hijack a commercial plane, collect the ransom money and quite literally parachute away with the cash, never to be seen again. This captivating mystery is retold in the title track of Marissa Nadler’s latest album, The Path of the Clouds. Using this and other true tales of intrigue and murder as her muse, Nadler has crafted a haunting and three-dimensional work that explores the dark annals of mankind.

The moody orchestration throughout The Path of the Clouds aids in evoking the unsettling nature of its stories. Elements of folk and country music persist in the album’s drums and synths, which mimic pedaled steel guitars. However, Nadler’s distinct style is the result of utilizing these tried-and-true sounds while also calling back to her days of performing black metal. Harsh guitar riffs and glowering piano lines meld perfectly with the folk and country influences, creating an eerie atmosphere that is entirely her own. 

Nadler’s wispy vocals are the most consistent sonic element of the record, floating softly above the thickly stacked instrumentation throughout. They perfectly fit the album’s dark atmosphere, but at times they reveal the album’s biggest fault—the mixing. Nadler’s voice is very delicate, so with the slight distortion applied to it on many of the tracks, it’s easy for Nadler to get lost in the sea of sounds. This is especially apparent in tracks such as “I Dream of Running” and “Well Sometimes You Just Can’t Stay.” Her lyricism is grim and evocative, but unfortunately, at times, it’s difficult to make out what she is saying.

Despite this, the stories being weaved throughout The Path of the Clouds are clearly one of the biggest draws. As noted on her Bandcamp page, Nadler developed a deep fascination with the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries at the start of 2020. She combines these grisly tales of murder and deceit with moments from her own personal journey, exploring their themes from a variety of perspectives.

“Bessie, Did You Make It?” is a classic country murder ballad but emphasizes the perspective of the victim, whose tribulations take an unexpected turn at the tail-end of the track. “Couldn’t Have Done the Killing” presents the story of an accomplice disillusioned with their own manipulation. Tracks such as “From Vapor to Stardust” and “Storm” take a more personal approach, lamenting those who have lost their lives. “Lemon Queen” is a somber and somewhat restrained closer in which Nadler gives a heartfelt depiction of nature continuing to blossom and mold around the grave of a loved one.

True crime stories have a distinctly gruesome ability to endlessly captivate people, and Nadler’s take on the genre is no exception as she fleshes out these complex and inexplicable tragedies throughout The Path of the Clouds. Despite some mixing issues, this record is a strong, cohesive project that further solidifies Nadler’s knack for lyricism and musicianship.