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27 Demos
Pop · 2014

27 Demos

Margo Guryan

Twenty-seven skeletal blueprints of sunshine pop perfection. Breathy, jazz-inflected vocals float over intimate piano and guitar, capturing the quiet magic of creation.

2014 · Oglio Records

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27 Demos is a masterclass in the art of the song, stripped of the baroque ornamentation that defined the 1960s sunshine pop era. While Margo Guryan is often celebrated for the lush, Technicolor production of her studio work, this collection offers a voyeuristic look at the raw materials. It sounds like a private conversation between a songwriter and her instrument, characterized by a breathy, almost whispered vocal delivery that feels like it was recorded just inches from your ear. The jazz influence is more apparent here than on her finished records, as the skeletal piano arrangements highlight her sophisticated harmonic language.

Moments Worth Listening For
the moment a simple piano melody suddenly shifts into a complex jazz-inflected chord progression, revealing the songwriter's formal training
the audible intake of breath before the first line of a particularly fragile vocal take, making the listener feel inches away
a sudden, unexpected burst of multi-tracked harmonies that briefly transforms a sparse demo into a lush wall of sound
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does 27 Demos sound next to the rest of Margo Guryan's catalogue?

Stripped Back+4.0σ

The production is built around stripped back than this artist usually allows.

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