Anais Mitchell

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is well known, but it’s not really necessary to know it inside out to appreciate this ambitious album by Anais Mitchell. Mainly because it’s been adapted to evoke depression period America, the current world financial situation, and a post apocalyptic future.

It started off as a ‘folk opera’, in 2006 and a song appeared on Ms Mitchell’s 2007 album The Brightness. The opera was performed during 2007, and from there Anais Mitchell decided to re-work the songs and turn it into an album. It’s been stressed that this is not a cast album, “but a stand alone, self-contained song cycle”. Maybe, but it actually has the feel of a concept album. Now, that usually triggers the air-raid sirens and panic in the streets, but this is no pixie and elf quest for the sword of Numblar 3 hour endurance test. No, this is generally pretty coherent serios stuff.

The casting of Greg Brown as Hades is a masterstroke as his rich tones have the right ring of menace and charm that you’d expect from the lord of the underworld. On the other hand, whether Anais Mitchell’s schoolgirlish voice is really right for the part of the cursed Eurydice is debateable. The music itself is varied taking in folk, jazz, country with some minor orchestration in places. However for all the varied influences and tones, and it may be the subject matter, overall there’s a funereal atmosphere about the whole album.

The album is intended to be, and works best, listened to without a break, but inevitably individual songs do stand out. There’s the New Orleans jazz of Way Down Hadestown, the sparse Tom Waitish Wait for Me. The Beach Boys come to mind on Epic (Part II). The resigned anguish of I Raise My Cup to Him ends the album on a suitably downbeat tone.

This album could have been a chore to listen to, and it does require some investment on the part of the listener. But like most things, patience brings its rewards. Hopefully we will be able to see a this opera/song cycle performed over here sometime.