Music Review: 'The Chronicles of Marnia' -- 3 stars

'The Chronicles of Marnia'
Marnie Stern
3 stars

The fourth album from UES guitar deity Marnie Stern casts her obliterating style in a new light. Where previous records were glittering shards of six-string excess that minted Stern's cred as a shredding prodigy, "Chronicles" is a classic case of addition by subtraction. Her restless, fingerpicking style and euphoric yelps are bent to the service of a lean, 10-song set that darts rather than lurches, with a thrumming momentum. From the stark fade-out of "You Don't Turn Down," to the ringing affirmation of closer "Hell Yes," the contrast and open spaces let the listener in to Stern's formidable palace of sound, and more importantly, let her out.