Mirah - (a)spera

Mirah
(a)spera (2009)
K Records
I’ve been reading a number of negative reviews and I don’t see the problem here. A lot of people criticize the dense arrangements, suggesting Mirah's better suited to a more lo-fi style, but I disagree. Her voice is wonderful; it’s somewhere between an innocent, sweet style (think Camera Obscura) and a confident, powerful style (like Ani Difranco), but without the more annoying qualities of either of thoses extremes. While her voice is great, these songs aren't designed to show it off. She uses her voice to deliver her lyrics rather than as an instrument of its own. The lyrics, which are mostly observative and folky, are quite nice too. Rather than drown out her great singing voice, the arrangements make the music more engaging. These songs feature all sorts of instrumentation (I heard acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, drums, a bongo, harp, xylophone, brass, strings and piano and there's probably something I missed), but they're thoughtfully arranged rather than all forced together, so it doesn't feel chaotic; you're usually only hearing a few at a time anyway.

This isn’t as easy to listen to as it could be, which is a good thing because she could have easily recorded something like a Cat Power album which is nothing more than a nice voice over bland, non-distinctive instrumental tracks. By not doing that, Mirah’s album is full of songs that immediately establish their own identities, even at first listen. The vocal and instrumental melodies often take interesting turns making this a very unpredictable listen, but there is not a single awkward part. I like her vocals best on “The Forest” which has a catchy hook, in addition to being the most “rock” song here. It works really well, even though the distorted guitars are like nothing else on the album. “While We Have the Sun” has vocals bordering on Tegan & Sara territory over a xylophone melody and with strings and a vocal chorus coming in and out. “Generosity” has layers of strings that provide a beautiful background for its melancholic vocals. The second half of the song with male vocals backing hers is wonderful, although the abrupt ending is regrettable only because I wanted that vocal part to continue forever. Not many albums strike such a balance between consistency and distinguishability. Each song works more or less equally well, yet they all stand out in their own ways. This music feels honest and real, but is also adventurous and tuneful. I'd only heard "C'mon Miracle" before I heard this, but I need to get my hands on the rest of her catalog. This is pretty close to perfect.

Mama, I'm Swollen

Cursive

Mama, I'm Swollen (2009)

Saddle Creek

Cursive’s newest album is a throwback to their older style, without all the bells and whistles of “Happy Hollow” (strings and horns are very low in the mix) and without the overindulgence of “The Ugly Organ” (which was still good). This is easily their best material since “Domestica” and the reason is the simplicity. It never feels like there’s too much going on at once. It’s a very easy listen, but somehow not a boring or safe one. There are a lot of good song ideas here. “In The Now” is wonderful, considering much of the song is the same sentence repeated. Most bands couldn't make that song work, but Tim Kasher makes it sound intense and quite catchy. “Donkeys” is a clever poem over mellow guitar notes and a soft drum beat. “We’re Going to Hell” has a drum beat and guitar melody that sounds like it came from a lounge band, but that only contributes to the unsettling nature of the music. The lyrics are decent, but every so often Kasher throws in a sentence that feels out in left field (like the one about the ultimatums in “Donkeys”), so these songs do not ever get too predictable. The vocals are chock full of emotion and while it might seem a bit whiny, it never reaches the point where it gets annoying. Somehow, when Kasher says he's pissed about something, I believe that it's something to be pissed about. Kasher’s brand of melodrama carries a sinister sense of sarcasm with it, so it doesn't sound like he's begging people to feel sorry for him. This is an interesting album from a unique band, and that always makes for good music, but this has a sort of earthy quality that makes Cursive so enjoyable. It’s very “out there” but also kind of not. It just needs to be heard to be understood. I think people who have "kinda liked" Cursive for a number of years, like me, will probably like this.