By Adam Wujtewicz
SheSaidHeSaid is a collaboration of Anne Castellano and Hugh Birdsall, (of The Reducers, Dogbite). The aptly titled In the Dark is a 4 song EP of melancholy folk melodies and somber acoustic rock. What it lacks in good cheer it makes up for in atmosphere. The style is somewhere between a folkier version of Anne’s solo work and a darker version of Hugh’s other band, Dogbite. Wherever you land, it’s easy to hear that neither of these two are outside their comfort zones. The songs are simple, airy... and because of the superb melodies, they are likely to get stuck in your head very quickly.
Another surefire way to know that that they make a great team is how well they sing together. Hugh and Anne’s voices pair together like pizza and beer, peanut butter and chocolate or coffee and cigarettes; sure you can have one without the other but you might enjoy them both more together. The vocals are what move these four songs along and make them what they are.
The music on In the Dark should not be downplayed though. It's mostly soft and atmospheric but always with purpose. The single note guitar melody and guitar solo on "Shame" are great examples of the dimension that is added. The organ sound on "Everytime You Cry" is a sound you don't hear on the rest of the EP which makes it stand out even though it's not very high in the mix or doing anything more than following the guitar melody. Making a lot from a little is a good way to sum up what SheSaidHeSaid is doing musically in these four songs.
If you’re in to melody, In the Dark by SheSaidHeSaid is something you should be excited about. This is a great example of musicians showing how well collaborations work when there is no ego or pretense.
Contact Anne or Hugh to purchase the CD - or check into The Telegraph!