Rebecca Schiffman

Upside Down Lacrimosa (Some)

By Anne C. Johnson
Published: November 21st, 2003 | 9:11pm

Upside Down Lacrimosa resulted when Rebecca Schiffman took the movement "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem, read it backward, and recorded it on her Casio. The finished product then became the title track of her debut release. Since lacrimosa means sadness, Schiffman reckoned that upside down it could only mean happiness. Choosing happiness as the theme of this debut release does seem like an odd choice. All the same, for those who find bliss in a merciless analysis of modern life, it should all make sense.

The music is extremely lo-tech in nature and based upon demos Schiffman had initially done at home. The subtle nuances, such as the quiet organ and subtle chord changes on the opening track, "Total Recall," to the forlorn banjo on "Fireflies," are well thought out and carefully adorn the initial sparse framework of the songs. Schiffman's expressionless vocals, which owe a great debt to both Nico and Liz Phair, do grate after a while but serve well as a clever commentary.

Schiffman's biting observations reveal a maturity and world-weariness that belie her young age; perhaps that is the native New Yorker in her. (This could also explain why she believes "Sometimes Mother Nature is trying to kill you.") She is right on well-deserving target a great deal of the time, as when she deadpans, "How difficult to maintain your space / When a rent-a-fridge company knows where you live." Rebecca Schiffman keenly mocks, yet indulges, the paranoia and the absurdity that accompany the modern urban experience.