Nina Nastasia and Jim White Make Brittle Magic on ‘You Follow Me’

You Follow Me’s elusiveness for LP collectors feels appropriate. Released in 2007 by FatCat and featuring lithe production by Steve Albini, this collaboration saw a limited run on vinyl, making it expensive today for collectors to find a copy. Featuring Nina Nastasia’s deeply emotional and spare songwriting, You Follow Me is bolstered by Jim White’s masterful drumming. Now, with Temporary Residence’s limited reissue, fans can finally own this amazing album on LP and appreciate its depths on a better soundstage than digital.

Though Nastasia has never risen above cult status, the 10 haunting and plaintive folk songs on You Follow Me have aged well in the past two decades. White, who rose to prominence as a member of Dirty Three, has since become a much-sought-after percussionist, working with PJ Harvey, Cat Power, Will Oldham, and more. Much like he did for Myriam Gendron’s folk masterpiece Mayday (2024), White’s drumming elevates Nastasia’s songwriting, earning him equal billing on the album cover.

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The insularity of You Follow Me makes the album beguiling. It feels like Nastasia’s voice and guitar and White’s drums are constantly circling one another, coming together in quiet intricacy at times while veering off into wildly exciting tangents in others. White has always been an intuitive drummer, mixing restraint and explosiveness with a seeming sixth sense. Even on the early Dirty Three albums, he seems to know when to fade into the background with a light cymbal hit and when to turn his set into a landmine.

Teaming up with Albini also proved to be a boon. The producer knew when Nastasia and White should lean into cacophony and when to fade into softness. Albini doesn’t dress up those songs with any schmaltzy production or studio tricks. Instead, it feels like we’re in the room with two musicians who recognize there is a crackling magic to their collaboration, from the shuffling “Our Discussion” to the roaring “Late Night.”

Multiple listens allow Nastasia’s metaphors and observations to float over the excellent musical arrangements. On “I Come After You” she sings, “Don’t think you are exceptional / Don’t dream you’re better than anyone else.” Whether this admonishment is pointed inward or outward, it’s a damning reminder to mind one’s place. It feels like an appropriate closing statement for a short album that never overstays its welcome. You Follow Me is clear evidence of three vital, authentic artists at the top of their game. It’s hard to dream of anything better.

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You Follow Me’s elusiveness for LP collectors feels appropriate. Released in 2007 by FatCat and featuring lithe production by Steve Albini, this collaboration saw a limited run on vinyl, making it expensive today for collectors to find a copy. Featuring Nina Nastasia’s deeply emotional and spare songwriting, You Follow Me is bolstered by Jim White’s […]David Harris{authorlink}https://www.spinmagazine.com/feed/SPINMusic News, Album Reviews, Concert Photos, Videos and Morehttps://static.spinmagazine.com/files/2023/08/cropped-logo-spin-s-340×340.png