Ida Braille Night CD

On its second Tiger Style Records release, New York folk-pop band Ida are once again able to re-create the intimacy and magic of its live shows. The record is one of the band's cleanest to date, with Dan Littleton, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Karla Schickele leading the attack. By this point, the band's music had been invigorated by the haunting violin of Ida Pearle and the steadily strained upright bass of Zach Wallace. Littleton and Mitchell's melancholy harmonies show up on the first track, "Let's Go Walking." The band's signature sound continues throughout, including the mesmerizing mix of piano and acoustic guitar on "Ignatia Amara" and the intricately slow and earnest vocals on "So Long." "Blizzard of '78" is one of the more energetic songs on the otherwise downbeat disc. It's followed by another relaxed song from Littleton, "So Worn Out," a song that retains the immediacy of four-track recordings without the fuzz. The title track is a brief instrumental collaboration between Littleton and Pearle. The disc ends with the enchanting and tender "Moves Through the Air," led by Mitchell's sophisticated lead vocal. Most of the songs on The Braille Night were recorded during various recording sessions for the band's first Tiger Style release, Will You Find Me. The band's radiant and cathartic tones continued to turn heads with this release. ~ Stephen Cramer

Recorded between 1998 and 2000.

Personnel: Dan Littleton (vocals, guitar, melodica, piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ); Elizabeth Mitchell (vocals, guitar, piano, Wurlitzer organ); Karla Schickele (vocals, piano); Michael Littleton (guitar, drums); Ida Pearle (violin); Zach Wallace, Rick Lassiter (upright bass); Luther Gray (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Trina Shoemaker.

Recording information: Dreamland (1998-2000); Excello (1998-2000); On-Me Sound (1998-2000); Orange, France (1998-2000); The Magic Shop, New York, NY (1998-2000); Time Stereo (1998-2000).

Ida includes: Daniel Littleton (vocals, guitar, melodica, Wurlitzer piano, organ); Elizabeth Mitchell (vocals, guitar, Wurlitzer piano); Karla Schickele (vocals, piano, bass); Michael Littleton (guitar, drums); Ida Pearle (violin); Rick Lassiter, Zach Wallace (upright bass); Luther Gray (drums, percussion).

Engineers include: Trina Shoemaker, Warn Defever, Ida Winter.

5th Rel

Magnet (9-10/01, p.95) - "...Deep and realized...slow, delicate chamber folk..."