Album Review: Kristin Hersh - Learn to Sing Like a Star

Rating: 7 out of 10

Y'know, it's almost like I'm in a romantic relationship with the music made by Kristin Hersh (no wonder I seem to have a hard time finding/keeping a boyfriend!) Kristin's music and I have been inseparable for almost 20 years. The romance started out really hot and heavy - the self-titled Throwing Muses debut, The Fat Skier, House Tornado, and her solo debut Hips and Makers are all near the top of my list of all-time favorite albums. As time went on I started seeing the music's warts, but they never became the focus for me, and there were still plenty of high points (Limbo; Sunny Border Blue; the first half of Golden Ocean) to get me through the occasional arguments and misunderstandings. I'm just as committed as I've always been; I'll always find something to like and want around to snuggle with; and I can be objective about the imperfections without them detracting from my enjoyment of the music's companionship.

I mostly like Learn to Sing Like a Star. After the stark The Grotto, this one has a full-band sound: drumming by David Narcizo (surprisingly subdued), electric piano, cellos and violins, and the occasional electric guitar riff all back up Kristin's scratchy vocals and acoustic strumming. It's mostly pretty without being overwhelmingly so. The church bells and rolling drums of "Winter" create an air of menace and expectation that flows nicely into the soaring chorus. "Sugarbaby," "Under the Gun," and "Wild Vanilla" all feature insistent electric guitar solos that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Throwing Muses album.

But as always, Kristin's vocals are the instrument most likely to grab your attention and demand access to your memory. Kristin's voice shows its wear a little more on each new album, but the scratchiness around the edges just adds depth and contrast to the pretty moments, and an emotional intensity to the occasional scary ones she can still conjure. Representing the latter: On the leadup to the chorus of "Day Glo," she repeats "Getting up is what HUUUUUUUUURRRRTS!", slurring that last word out into a near-howl before the electric guitar and violin slink in. It's impossible to ignore. I was fortunate to grab an early copy of the album that came with a bonus disc bearing three songs. The first of these, "Windowpane," is possibly the most intense moment on the album. Representing the former: Both "Ice" and "Winter" feature memorably pretty melodies on the chorus.

Overall the album plays it pretty safe. Several of the songs I haven't mentioned yet are straightforward guitar pop with that distinctive voice sitting - sometimes silky, sometimes uncomfortably naked - on top. It's a decent album but not a mindblowing one. I'm happy to spend time with it until the next one, just the way an old lover should.