Lisa Germano

"Ruminants," Lisa Germano's breathy waltz about digestion, is weird and beautiful and kind of sad (a musical combination that gets me pretty much every time). It's also a real standout on her recent album, No Elephants.I hadn't heard of Lisa Germano before "Ruminants," but apparently she's been busy. No Elephants is her ninth studio album, with a handful a self-releases to add to her portfolio as well. Her prolific habit of music making is a bit of a bummer for me  insofar as  it's daunting to discover an artist you find interesting only to learn that you're about a dozen LPs behind in their work. But alas, while I can't speak to her career as a whole, I can testify to the fact that upon first listen, I found "Ruminants" to be an absolutely captivating track.Germano's melancholic vocal delivery, the inclusion of animal noises in the song, and the strange high-pitched metallic digital drones that bubble up subtly  throughout the verses of the otherwise classical waltz all contribute to a certain peculiar ambiance and musical quality that  makes my ears stand at attention.I love music that defies the expectations of the listener (even if just in small ways), and  "Ruminants" does just that.  With its 3:4 waltz format, its bizarre subject material, and equally interesting production elements, "Ruminants cultivates a uniqueness that had me revisiting the track again and again.