This one is a mess. I love it. The latest for The Wildebeest.
Dessa - “Seamstress”
Can words kill?
As part of the Minnesota-based music collective Doomtree (of which punk-hip-hopper P.O.S. is also a member), Dessa is a dangerous one. Originally starting out as a spoken-word poet and writer, Dessa worked poetry slams and competitions in Minneapolis until a friend lured her into joining a local hip-hop group. Her talents with sharp, thoughtful lines caught the notice of Doomtree, a collective of alternative rap artists from the Twin Cities who took as many cues from punk and hard rock tracks as they did from hip-hop. She joined the group, and in 2010 released her debut A Badly Broken Code.
I stumbled upon Dessa shortly after coming down from P.O.S’s solid record, Never Better. Off of one addiction and straight into another. What Doomtree members really have in common is the ability to craft music which unsettles you. It’s damaged music, rubbed raw, and full of suppressed rage. It’s music that you can’t get too close to, because it will lash out at you.
And Dessa? Well, she’s perfect at it.
A Badly Broken Code is at times cold, crushingly wistful, strikingly bold, and even just a bit hopeful. Dessa ruminates about life, love, and past episodes, and given her background in poetry, every line—hell, every word—is a calculated move. When she speaks, you take notice, and she has a knack for delivering lines which dig at you.
“Seamstress” is a hell of a listen. Starting off with those innocent and rather chipper guitars over that ominous tone and kicking off into a hostile, frenzied drum break, Dessa delivers a scathing performance aimed at a past love. Her lines are vivid, harsh, and again, very, very calculated. These words play with your life.
