Heather Jones, the engineer behind some of Philly’s breakthrough voices this year like Sadurn and TAGABOW, has announced a new album for her own project, Ther. A Horrid Whisper Echoes In A Palace of Endless Joy comes out on April 14th, with single “Impossible Things” out now.
Jones’ confessional songwriting is always at the center of Ther, whether she’s performing solo or with a full band, like on Horrible Whisper. “Impossible Things” even features swelling pedal steel performed by Jon Cox to complement the soft, repeating finger-plucked guitar. If you’ve seen Ther live recently, either in a West Philly basement or other independent venue, or have listened to their recorded work dating back to 2017, then you know it’s hard not to fall into the overwhelming depth of emotionality Jones describes.
“I wrote [“Impossible Things”] at a time I felt connected to the expansiveness of eternity, and when forever didn’t feel so long,” says Jones in a press release. “I was bouncing back from a long, low point in a big and intentional way, ready for the uncertainty and terror of the future, and anchoring my heart around the joy of loving and being loved.”
There’s tangible despair on the track, for sure, emphasized by the memorable line “knowing ever-after is ever coming after me,” but Jones’ point is not to dwell, rather to fill the time you have with light. Avoiding the doom and gloom is one of those impossible things, but referring back to the album title, it’s only a “horrid whisper” in a world of possibility, or, “palace of endless joy.”
Give “Impossible Things” a listen below and support Horrid Whisper on Bandcamp.