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Despite my tendency for over-enthusiasm, extreme excitement when something is new, I can say with reasonable certainty that Mirah’s (a)spera will be one of my favorite albums of the year.

If you don’t know Mirah’s music, it could initially be off-putting–the kind of sound that at first glance is maybe something you think you’ve heard before, something tired, dusty. In the past, her sound has often been stripped down to just her voice and a guitar, only eventually escalating into some war-like rumble of lo-fi drums and distortion. Phil Elverum, aka The Microphones and Mount Eerie, handles much of her production (though apparently only a few tracks on the new one), and while it’s hard to argue that he gives her sound a crushing edge, full of surprise and explosion (and the trembling tenderness that makes me love his music so much in the first place), it’s ultimately Mirah’s voice that separates her music from anything else out there.

A few years ago, before a violent Björk obsession, I had once held Mirah’s voice as my favorite in all of music. With (a)spera, I might go ahead and say that’s true again. It may not be as booming and bizarre as my Icelandic queen, but she propels her own forcefulness: a seemingly effortless, sweet, stunning voice. It’s convincing. For example, the following clip where really she’s just singing riddles about bugs–doesn’t sound engaging, but it’s mesmerizing! The audience shouts the answer and it’s actually upsetting to hear her interrupted.

On (a)spera, Mirah’s shifted into sweeping strings and electric guitar, and songs more complex than her Advisory Committee or C’mon Miracle fare. Elverum’s hand may be gentler on this one, but his careful touch remains, so if you like the way the Microphones make you feel, it holds up.

The clip below is from the first track, “Generosity,” and below that is a marvelous cover of Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love” that I can’t stop clicking over and over and over. Mirah’s difficult to get people to like. So take your time. Ease in. Let me know. Take care.

Mirah, Portland Cello Project & Flash Choir – Generosity from Jon Manning on Vimeo.
(track one from the new album)

Mirah, Portland Cello Project & Flash Choir – Hounds of Love from Jon Manning on Vimeo.
(it takes her a few lines to make it her own, but when she does–gold.)