Just as
Lois has divided much of her time between Olympia, WA, and Washington D.C., the spare folk-pop on this 1993 release fits neatly between the '90s music of Northwest bands like the Spinanes (Rebecca Gates is a former collaborator) and Northeast bands like Jenny Toomey's Tsunami.
Lois' commitment to the DYI aesthetic is another connection she shares with the two camps. A worthy follow-up to the Stuart Moxham-produced
Butterfly Kiss,
Strumpet features a strong collection of economical (read: short, to the point), melancholy-tinged tracks. K Records' Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic Sound System) is credited with the lo-fi production. The set concludes with a touching a cappella rendition of "The Way I Feel Inside" by Rod Argent (The Zombies, Argent). "Evening in Paris," which opens the set, and "The Trouble With Me" ("The trouble with me/is that I'm trouble") represent
Lois at her clever and enchanting best. ~ Kathleen C. Fennessy