Dana Falconberry came to Austin from Michigan by way of Hendrix College, in Conway, Arkansas, but you’d be hard-pressed to detect any geographic traces in her music. Like other new singers with an old-world charm (Jolie Holland, Jenny Owen Youngs), Falconberry makes music that seems to spring from an unnamed place and time. Oh Skies of Grey (2:59) has a vague gothicism, a thirties-pop feel, a deep blues vibe, and even a trio of female voices conjuring the sound of the Roche (or Andrews) sisters. Plus, Falconberry mixes in a contemporary sensibility; the production is eccentric and ranges from delicate acoustics to brittle, distorted power chords. All this has the potential to add up to a mess, but Falconberry seals the deal. From the furious swing of “Love Will Never Leave You Alone” and the sad blues of “Satin Dress” to the easy shuffle of “Do You,” she charms her way through the witty and varied material with her thin but beguiling voice. As with other records that require some patience at the outset, her album ultimately yields big rewards.
