Thistle Group

Thistle Group

Thistle Group has been a going thing for a few years, and this eponymous EP is the first widely available document of Claire Mahoney’s slowly scrambled solo endeavor. The songs are built from layered, rumbling analog tape loops that snake around multiple axes, augmented with occasional drums and voice, providing some sense of order. Each track exists as its own universe, guided by Claire’s hand & recorded by the one & only (Pat) Kraus. It’s as beautiful as it is primordial and as it is mysterious, but the beauty in these pieces really shines through after each encounter.

Like her work as part of the trio It Hurts, Thistle Group’s zone is more in line with early industrial acts than much of anything since. Her songs clatter and throb in a reminiscent manner, but this is no homage. These dream-state pieces reflect the artist and her process, in full covert glory.