The Best
Princess of all things tiny and home-made, The best sings catchy, riot-grrl, anti-folk uke-pop with child-like wonder and ancient wisdom. Known to the legitimate world as Betsy Cohen, The best came of age in the swamps of NYC's underground art scene, performing in several bands, successful avant garde theater spectacles like "Fun Wearing Underwear" (1999), and touring as part of the legendary anti-folk ensemble Dufus (2001-2003). Though she has been known for years as the "it"-girl of international anti-folk, she has waited until now to distill her experience into a solo project with her debut album, "plan b." A harrowing collection of twinkly lullabyes and rollicking tirades, "plan b" kneads the sprawling melodic grandeur of Bjork into ambling, lo-fi rootsiness of Kimya Dawson. The result is equal parts folky and extra-terrestrial. Perhaps The best's dueling aesthetics blend most touchingly on the pragmatic love anthem "63% of the Time (Collecting Hearts)," but the old-timey D.I.Y. jam "If You Want Something Done Around Here," stands out as a staple of all your future mix tapes. -Off-Stage Fright Promotions (2007)
