Craig Norton Photo
“My ribcage is a hothouse harboring a bloom next to you,” Elizabeth Trojanowski sings on “Still Water,” the opening song to Pageant Dove’s recently released self-titled EP. An acoustic guitar lays down a bluesy flat-seven chord to anchor the twists in the melody, but then goes elsewhere, sounding not quite settled, even when a string section joins in. When the drums emerge, we feel like we’re somewhere. But where is it?
Musically, Pageant Dove lives in a misty corner of indie pop somewhere near the borders of folk and soul, and visiting it across the four songs of this EP makes for an interesting trip. After the deliberate pacing of “Still Water,” with its steady drums and pulsing strings, “The Dream” is built around a bouncing rhythm from an electric guitar that keeps the skip in its step whether it’s walking on a bed of strings or helped along by drums. The strutting “Goddamn Lizzie” gets its twang on. And the album’s closer, “Devotion,” is perhaps its most unabashedly pretty song, with a chiming guitar and relaxed drums swimming in strings and vocal harmonies.
The main attraction, however, is Trojanowski’s voice, strong and sweet with a gritty edge, front and center in whatever musical landscape Trojanowski puts it in. It’s an ideal vehicle for her lyrics — sometimes playful, sometimes wistful, always smart and emotionally direct. The combination of the words and the voice delivering the message are the reason “Still Water” runs deep, while “The Dream” feels like a caper even when the lyrics read as a little menacing on the page (“Take it off from me / make it a deep, deep cut / into the deep, deep sleep / I’m ready for the dream”). “Goddamn Lizzie” suggests that Trojanowski could front a straight-up country band if she put her mind to it.
It sets the stage for the album’s lush final song, which is suffused with a feeling not unlike waking up (or falling asleep) somewhere light and warm. “Devotion’s a dream where I dive / off a cliff into the sea of love,” she sings, and means it. As the strings fall in gentle harmony around each other, we believe her.
Trojanowski cut her musical teeth in New Haven, spent some time in New York City, and is now based in Stamford, but gets back to the Elm City often enough that we can catch her live on one of our club’s stages. It’s worth keeping an eye out for her next appearance. In the meantime, we have Pageant Dove to listen to, and dive in.
