Julie Byrne – Rooms With Walls and Windows (2014)

Rooms With Walls and Windows is the first album by Seattle-by-way-of-Chicago singer, songwriter & guitarist Julie Byrne. Blending psychedelic & traditional folk elements, Julie Byrne creates a highly personal & quietly mystical world that echoes the early work of Leonard Cohen & Vashti Bunyan. Rooms With Walls and Windows’ twelve tracks were collected from two limited edition cassette releases, recorded between 2011 & 2012 by Jake Acosta in Chicago, IL.

The strong vocals, which you might rightfully assume would be pushed up front and center, instead opt to hang back to form a playful and close knit relationship both with the gently plucked guitar tones. as well as, it seems, the sound of the room the tracks were recorded in. This tight control of vocal inflection, combined with a strong narrative and a frequent direct-address style of songwriting, is extremely evocative and affective. The subjects of the songs are as much relational as they are pastoral, though in that charmingly urban way in which everything natural gains a unique, almost mystical significance.
Each song was recorded live, with Julie accompanying herself on fingerpicked acoustic guitar or keyboard. Rooms With Walls & Windows was lovingly remastered for vinyl by Owen Ashworth & Matthew Barnhart.