Album Notes

A mix of ethereal atmospheres and folk roots, these songs were born of several years of traveling, searching, being depressed, bored, driven crazy, and in love.

"For the world that spends a lifetime attempting to escape the monotony of everyday, Stacy Harshman has created a modern myth with her new album Almost in the Land of More or Less. Harshman herself is the ultimate siren, hypnotizing with dangerously haunting melodies.

With a voice comparable to Dar Williams, Harshman weaves the fabric of fantasy so well we can almost glimpse a unicorn through yonder waterfall. Dance the Flame, one of my personal favorites, is the epitome of daydreams. The soft twinkling sounds in the beginning prompt memories of the anticipation before a sunrise. And that is not to mention the song itself. Even a sunrise can hardly compare to the swaying swells of music paired with Harshman's mesmerizing voice.

All of this mythological talk is not to say Harshman is out of touch with reality. Lyrics in the title track reveal Harshman's quest for elusive fairy-tale happiness that anyone could relate to:

"Cause I've thought and I've sought / but I'm still so far away from any Camelot / so I'll be happy for now I guess / to be almost in the land of more or less". Simple only further emphasizes Harshman's solid grip on reality. It has the feel of one of those nights when you've stayed up worrying about a problem and had so much coffee you're almost ready to ignore the issue all over again from pure exhaustion.

Still, Harshman has the aura of a mysterious woman you've seen but are not sure exists. She resigns herself to reality with amazing contentedness and control. Yet, she seems also to accept life's evils, without being an active participant of course. A deadly combination, this sad joy shines forth in her song writing like a stunning suicide, similar to the style of Mazzy Star. "

-Genevieve Will, Indie-music.com


"Stacy has an interesting sound. High voice among real acoustic guitar in the foreground and an ambient mood of synth strings & etc. sounds in the background. Space folk? Alternative retro-ethereal? Dream spooky? Could be all of that. The only way to know for sure is have a gander at her website and play everything there.

...Listening to 'Love Yourself Dear' is like capturing a beautiful sprite with multi-voices that equal her exquisite face. You are in a different world, regardless of what the words are saying, and if you allow yourself, you can become transfixed."

Ben Ohmart

The Muse's Muse