Klarka Weinwurm

Heavy bass and lumbering electric strum lace most of the tracks of Continental Drag, requiring a close listen if you want substance. On “Tractor and Crane,” where Weinwurm unplugs and enlists Old Man Luedecke for backup, a simple eloquence is allowed to shine. “They are building our new sky” is her dry assessment of the brisk construction/destruction cycle in the city. “Caroline” comes closest to rocking out. Violins convey eeriness (“Houses Shake”) or courage (“Evil All Around”), depending on their tuning. Big empty houses seem to shake loose Weinwurm’s muse. Perhaps the vocals are mixed low to create the sense she’s being swallowed alive.