Mirah and Spectratone International
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Share This Place is the album from K Records standout Mirah, but it also a multimedia project commissioned by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Seattle International Children’s Festival, comprised of the songs contained herein and accompanying stop-motion video by Britta Johnson. Inspired in part by the writings of French entomologist Jean Henri Fabré and the Capek brothers’ anthropomorphic drama The Insect Play, with a dash of the insectile existentialism of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, Share This Place is a palimpsest where the separate fiefdoms of humans and insects are reconciled in one teeming kingdom.
The album is more like To All We Stretch the Open Arm, the collection of traditional folk Mirah recorded with Seattle’s Black Cat Orchestra, than her beloved C’mon Miracle. Forgoing that album’s sketches, snippets, and snapshots, which were of a piece with the naively ramshackle twee for which her label is renowned, Share This Place employs a decidedly more adult, historically rooted method of songwriting and performing. These full-bodied songs, sturdily played by Spectratone International, draw from a variety of Asian and European folk idioms for their torch-lit, supple swoon. Kyle Hanson’s drunkenly reeling accordion and Lori Goldston’s weepy cello betray a strong Klezmer influence, while Kane Mathis’s flickering oud (similar to a lute) injects Middle Eastern strains. Sympathetic production by Phil Elvrum and Steve Fisk amplifies Mirah’s idiosyncrasies— her non-sexual sensuality, her scenery-chewing vocal projection.
The album is more like To All We Stretch the Open Arm, the collection of traditional folk Mirah recorded with Seattle’s Black Cat Orchestra, than her beloved C’mon Miracle. Forgoing that album’s sketches, snippets, and snapshots, which were of a piece with the naively ramshackle twee for which her label is renowned, Share This Place employs a decidedly more adult, historically rooted method of songwriting and performing. These full-bodied songs, sturdily played by Spectratone International, draw from a variety of Asian and European folk idioms for their torch-lit, supple swoon. Kyle Hanson’s drunkenly reeling accordion and Lori Goldston’s weepy cello betray a strong Klezmer influence, while Kane Mathis’s flickering oud (similar to a lute) injects Middle Eastern strains. Sympathetic production by Phil Elvrum and Steve Fisk amplifies Mirah’s idiosyncrasies— her non-sexual sensuality, her scenery-chewing vocal projection.
Shoutbox
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VOUSVOUS Oh now this is lovely. Mirah forever.
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sovay brilliant, must show this to my bug friends !
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dollygay waka waka¡
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dramaofexile an entire album about bugs? this should be shittier than it is.
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janeboot j'adore mirah<3
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BlurAllTheLines it's beautiful
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CenturyOfFakers sounds like the old country
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knockles strange stuff, definitely going to have to give this more listens.
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