My Brightest Diamond – “All Things Will Unwind”
Asthmatic Kitty
-out tomorrow
4 / 5
We love this cover. Absolutely adore it. It’s as vibrant, fun, and unusual as the work within; and considering Michiganian Shara Worden’s penchant for unusuality (see Decemberists’ rock opera “Hazards”), that’s no minor compliment. What grabs us about All Things Will Unwind, other than the classical orchestration, other than the rock-ish song structure worked with a orchestral ear, is the depth of Ms. Worden’s musical vision here. These songs, carried with her, at times, operatic voice (check out “Be Brave”), could easily be the mere eccentricities of an untrained, but curious ear. Yet, with each aside of the flute, with each strange little flourish, we find it difficult to hold back a sense of awe at her musical vocabulary, as delved in the classics as the currents. What to expect from this release: a trained ear, a sense of sophistication and fun, mixed perhaps with a je ne sais quoi – or maybe that’s just the strings. Sensible, balanced, and an entirely difficult feat to keep it all strangely familiar and listenable; this one comes, naturally, recommended.
Stream this highfalutin album on NPR. Post-haste!