Mosaic Minds

by Katrina Martin

If Nina Persson (The Cardigans) teamed up with Portishead and Beth Orton to put out an album, it might sound a bit like Petracovich's first release, Blue Cotton Skin. Petracovich, the brainchild of former folky coffee house singer/songwriter Jessica Peters, blends poppy melodies with melancholy instruments to create low-fi electro-folk.

Peters put out the record on her own label, Red Buttons, which she named after a cow on the family farm who ended up as Sunday dinner. Her tributes to important animals and people don't end there. Peters got the name for the band from her great-grandfather, a Russian immigrant with a penchant for music. She remembers how he dressed in his best suit and listened to the New York Opera on the radio each Saturday. Through this ritual he influenced Peters' own devotion to music.

Fans of Bjork and Portishead will find a companion in "Nighttime," the opening track to the record. Strange loops, drum machines and Peters' lilting voice blend to concoct a delicious ambient cocktail. The chorus of "Fall From Trees" includes a coiling electronic loop that is dreamy and slightly creepy. The contrast of this loop to Peters' Persson/Aimee Mann vocals is mesmeric. On "Driving Home," one would swear Peters is channeling Persson directly, for the cuteness of the Swedish singer's voice is highly present. At the same time, Peters puts a yearning spin on her vocals that sets her apart and keeps her from making her songs too sticky sweet.

Peters seamlessly blends intriguing and sometimes dissonant sounds, including a kalimba, an instrument from Africa, with acoustic guitars and pianos. The result is relaxing and intoxicating, and fans of any of the aforementioned artists would enjoy Petracovich's polished first offering.