In These Trees And Tartie: “The Quiver” (2024) CD Review

In These Trees And Tartie is the project of Binnie Klein, who is based in Connecticut, where she is a radio DJ on WPKN, and an Australian singer who goes by the name Tartie. A lot of songs and even albums have been created remotely in recent years because of the pandemic, but this story isn’t really a pandemic story, though it took form during that time. Tartie had sent Binnie Klein some tracks, presumably for airplay, and Binnie Klein, who is a writer as well as a DJ, sent Tartie a poem in reply. That poem became the duo’s first song, and first single. And the two continued from there, and eventually had an album’s worth of material. That album, The Quiver, features all original material, most of it with lyrics by Binnie Klein and music by Tartie. Tartie provides most of the vocals, with Binnie Klein singing backup on just one track. The musicians include David Baron on piano and keyboards, John Andrews on guitar, Jeff Pevar on guitar and mandolin, Ben Zwerin on bass, Aaron Johnston on drums, Renee Hikari on drums, Jeff Lipstein on drums and percussion, Jerry Marotta on drums and percussion, Alex Waterman on cello, and Olivier Manchon on viola.

The album opens with that first song they collaborated on, “Orchard,” with lyrics by Binnie Klein and music by Tartie. “Came back next spring/Stripped the branches clean/Earth there for you to devour or protect/You come off gentle, wind up mean.” I especially like that line, “Earth there for you to devour or protect.” Which will it be? This track features some really nice work by Alex Waterman on cello. That’s followed by “Ablaze,” a song written by Tartie, with Jennifer Kreisberg on backing vocals. It begins with some good stuff on piano, setting the tone, and it builds from there. This powerful and haunting song features some moving work by Olivier Manchon on viola and a striking vocal performance. “How much is she worth/You went and put a number on her/How much does she deserve/You went and put a number and now there’s/Smoke already in our lungs.”

“Quiver,” the album’s title track, is the one on which Binnie Klein provides backing vocals. Binnie wrote the lyrics, and Tartie wrote the music. Once it kicks in, there is a somewhat cheerful pop vibe to this song. There are even hand claps. These lines stand out for me: “How much to weep, and how much to worry/It takes a while to find your story.” That’s followed by “Dilemma.” Binnie Klein wrote both the lyrics and the music for this one. “But sometimes the beautiful light/Relieves you from wondering/And the peace of every night/Quiets the longing, longing.” It then develops a pop vibe, particularly in the rhythm. Both Aaron Johnston and Renee Hikari play drums on this track. This track still has the ability to transport listeners, especially through the vocal performance.

The piano begins “Ghosts In Our Rooms,” and there is something sad in its sound, expressing a worry, a concern. And Tartie sings, almost in response, “Don’t be afraid/They can’t hurt you now.” This is a striking song. Tartie wrote both the music and the lyrics. “And we don’t always know/What is coming next/But I’ll be there for you/With two bullet proof vests.” Those lines grab us with their strength and beauty. And many of us can relate strongly to these lines as well: “We are all just holding on/We got ghosts in our room.” The vocals take on an eerie aspect themselves, making us feel that whether there are ghosts or not, there is certainly a haunted aspect to those present. Eerie and gorgeous. This is one of the album’s highlights. That’s followed by “Sky, Ocean.” This one has lyrics by Binnie Klein, and music by both Binnie and Tartie. I like the way this one builds, and there is a pretty and uplifting pop feel to the chorus. Both John Andrews and Jeff Pevar play guitar on this track. “You made a deal with the sky/I made a deal with the ocean.” Interestingly, the first line of the next song mentions the ocean, “Left the ocean behind me,” making it a perfect choice to follow. This one, titled “One Through Ten,” builds too, and I like the drum work by Jeff Lipstein. When the drums come in, there is at first a steady pulse, and soon it feels like he is trying to drive the music into a different space, to energize and change things, as Tartie sings, “Starting again, starting again.”

Jennifer Kreisberg joins Tartie on vocals for “Hailstorm.” There is something catchy and even playful about this song, a part of its appeal. “Begged for amnesty/Thought of you/Listened to a mandolin/Thought of you/Heard the moans of minor tones/Thought of you.” Binnie wrote the lyrics, and Tartie composed the music. Jerry Marotta plays drums on this track. “Had a second helping/Thought of you.” What then first strikes me about “Meet Me On The Mountain Top” is the beauty of the vocal performance. Things begin to build during the second stanza, and this song has an uplifting energy. There is something bright and exciting about meeting someone on a mountain top, and not just meeting, but planning on meeting someone there, expressing the sense that we are in control of our destiny. “My love for you will never stop/I’ll meet you on the mountain top.” And that final section is particularly cheerful. This is another of the disc’s highlights. The album then concludes with “Shape Of The Things To Come,” which begins with a gentle, soothing touch. “This is not a sad tale/It’s a clear signal/To a thousand ships.” Oh yes!

CD Track List

1. Orchard
2. Ablaze
3. Quiver
4. Dilemma
5. Ghosts In Our Room
6. Sky, Ocean
7. One Through Ten
8. Hailstorm
9. Meet Me On The Mountain Top
10. Shapes Of The Things To Come

The Quiver was released on March 19, 2024.