On Leaving

Released in 2006 on Fat Cat Records, On Leaving represents a pivotal moment in Nina Nastasia's discography. Following the more expansive arrangements of 'Run to Ruin', this album saw Nastasia stripping back her sound to its most essential elements. Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, the production is famously 'dry', eschewing reverb to place the listener inches away from the performers. The album features a recurring cast of collaborators, including Jim White on drums (though his presence here is exceptionally subtle) and intricate string arrangements that define the 'chamber folk' label often applied to her work. Lyrically, the album is deeply personal; 'Jim's Room' specifically references her father's art studio and a nude model from her childhood, grounding the album's ethereal atmosphere in concrete, often smoky, domestic detail. Critics praised its poetic depth, though some noted the shift away from her more explosive dynamic peaks toward a sustained, hushed intensity.