REVIEW: Tanya Tagaq’s “Retribution”

The fourth album by the Inuit throat singer/experimental composer and her band.

tanya-tagaq-retributionTanya Tagaq, Retribution (Six Shooter)

In the tradition of her previous releases, Tanya Tagaq’s fourth album is compelled by the capabilities of the human voice — almost wild in its nature, the album takes us into the throat of spoken madness. Retribution weaves a rich tapestry of tongues, with aboriginal chants, throat singing, rap lines and rock ’n’ roll mantras, abetted by her regular collaborators Jesse Zubot and Jean Martin as well as a number of guests. Haunting arrangements, propulsive percussion and deft mixing make for a thoroughly engaging listen, concluding with a particularly serene cover of Nirvana’s “Rape Me.” 7/10 Trial Track: “Cold” (Kyle Carney)