“Tame that nasty shrew cause she knows what you’re up to/you gotta keep her thin and hungry so she’s eager for your love.” So begins folk pop songstress Tristen’s first full-length, Charlatans at the Garden Gate (through American Myth Recordings), which plays out like a modern fairy tale as she references dark jungles, court jesters and tadpoles. As a synthesizer blares prettily, she sings the opener “Eager for Your Love” (which you can download for free here) in poignant, honeyed vocals that set the stage for the entire LP.
Traditionalist in melody and original in lyrics that have a poetic appeal, the album unfolds 11 tracks in an illustrative, story-like manner amidst folky acoustic strumming, plucky keys (“Matchstick Murder”) and sporadic suggestions of country influence (“Heart and Hope to Die”). Though Charlatans has indie darling appeal, the soaring, bell-like vocals have a maturity and a powerful quality that would mainstream well. And while there is no shortage of finesse – from beautiful background harmonies to the use of strings, like on “Wicked Heart” – one of the album’s best qualities is the sense of humor that quietly creeps into the instrumentation. It comes out occasionally with a flamboyancy and fullness in the vocals and instrumentation that is reminiscent of The Pretenders, or when she channels Nancy Sinatra with cooing sweet talk, like in “Baby Drug,” or the country-influenced bounce in the percussion.
Charlatans simply proves that Tristen knows how to do what she does, and she does it well, making a retro style fresh and satisfying both the desire for lyrical depth and beautifully-crafted melodies. The playful speculations about love, even when on the rocks, aren’t heavy or literal, but artfully masked in metaphors, and as a result, the album is expressive and meaningful without being too weighed down.
*Tristen’s CD release show is Jan. 21 at The Basement. – Jessica Pace
Last week at The Studio at Webster Hall, Long Island-based trio, 
