Fans of Josephine Wiggs' projects -- which include her time in the Breeders in the '90s and 2010s and with Dusty Trails in the 2000s -- may not know she also has a thriving career as a composer. On We Fall, she brings this intricate, introspective side of her music to the fore with beautifully pensive results. Based on a set of pieces she originally composed for the 2013 documentary Built on Narrow Land, the album's roots as a soundtrack linger on in the restrained feel of each of its tracks. There's a wintry starkness to the pianos and strings of pieces such as "Turn to Moss" and "Afterwards" that calls to mind short days and long nights filled with contemplation and also suggests a kinship with post-classical artists such as Hauschka. Within We Fall's somber world, subtle shadings of mood gradually emerge: "Loveliest of Trees" is slightly warmed by tumbling drums and guitar reminiscent of early Mogwai, while the gentle hints of cello and synth on "In a Yellow Wood" add hypnotic depth. On pieces such as the Eno-esque "The Weeping of the Rain," the tiny nuances in Wiggs' arrangements feel like conversations between the instruments, achieving an organic flow that's all the more impressive considering that she played virtually every instrument on the album (for additional electronics and drums, she reunited longtime collaborator Jon Mattock, with whom she's worked since the early '90s). An album that requires and rewards close listening, We Fall is an evocative reminder that there's much more to Wiggs' music than the Breeders' elliptical orbit. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		37 Words
2		Slipping Through the Cracks
3		We Fall
4		In a Yellow Wood
5		Loveliest of Trees
6		Turn to Moss
7		The Weeping of the Rain
8		Time Does Not Bring Relief
9		The Soft Stars That Shine
10		Afterwards

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