Fortuneteller The Deep End
(Miracle Fish Records)
This bewitching platter from the Newburgh duo Fortunteller is one good thing to come out of the pandemic. The duo of Laney CS (producer, vocals, keys, rhythm guitar, bass) and David Saracino (drums, lead guitar) submersed themselves in their basement home studio in late 2022 and emerged with this multi-genre gem. Embracing raw garage rock, surf, Filipino folk music, and more, this album is a vibrant debut. The single “Magindara” is a spacious, spooky tune that gradually swells in intensity. According to the band, it was inspired by “an underwater Filipino folklore tale about the evil sirens that haunt the seas in Bicol, Philippines.” Elsewhere, a crushing cover of the White Stripes “Hypnotize” pulverizes the original. Laney is also founder of the fledgling Miracle Fish record label and magazine (the latter centers on women artists). Hopefully this is just the opening salvo from this adventurous project.
This article appears in May 2024.
