Ruth Garbus possesses a singular ability to inhabit the space between the surreal and the mundane. She often carries the air of a jazz singer who has wandered into an elegant party, only to deliver a performance that feels both sophisticated and delightfully unhinged. On her latest album, Profound, Garbus continues to refine this aesthetic, offering a collection of songs that are as beautifully austere as they are disarmingly honest.
While the title suggests a heavy, philosophical undertaking, the record finds Garbus moving in the opposite direction. She displays little interest in the weighty, self-serious tropes often associated with the singer-songwriter genre. Instead, she favors a pace that is intentionally slow and reflections that are lucid to the point of being haikuesque. Even when compared to her previous work, such as the acclaimed Alive People, Profound feels lighter, more direct, and remarkably unburdened.
A Technical Leap Forward
The creation of this album coincided with a period of personal growth for Garbus, including vocal coaching and a dedicated study of classical composition. This is most evident in tracks like “Clair de Lune” and “Nocturne,” which draw inspiration from the French Romantic composer Gabriel Fauré. Garbus translated the lyrics herself, resulting in performances that showcase a technical maturity previously unseen in her catalog. These songs drift across the scale with the grace of watercolor, proving that her artistry is currently in a state of significant evolution.
Surrealism and Everyday Joy
At times, Profound functions like the soundtrack to a quiet, remote indie film. The surrealism is balanced by a sense of genuine delight. On “The Lost Soul,” she employs layered, unison vocals that evoke the charm of the Roches, while “Tall Face” leans into a whimsical, folksy narrative reminiscent of Shel Silverstein. Yet, she does not shy away from the darker realities of the human experience. In “All E-Lone,” she contemplates aging and decay with a languid, poetic touch, finding meaning in the inevitability of life’s transitions.
The album’s emotional peak, however, arrives in its most contented moments. The mid-album suite—comprised of “Sunny Summer Guy” and “Tip of the Hat to Fleur”—is a masterclass in subtlety. Backed by her trio, including Nick Bisceglia and elie mcafee-hahn, Garbus captures the unselfconscious joy of a summer day and the intimate warmth of her life in Southern Vermont. For a songwriter who once questioned the very purpose of her art, Profound serves as a definitive answer: the beauty is not in the grand gesture, but in the clarity of the world right before our eyes.