Plague Songs - Various Artists
Here we have a sweet little pick-me-up: 10 songs based on the biblical plagues that occur in the book of Exodus, arranged in order. The whole thing was commissioned by a British arts council, and for better and worse it sounds like it. Super literate singer-songwriters (Scott Walker, Rufus Wainwright, Stephin Merritt) and a few wannabes (Imogen Heap, Tiger Lilies) contribute tunes that tend towards a dynamic miserabilism. The songs that avoid such an obvious approach (those by Merritt, Cody Chesnutt, and Laurie Anderson) are a nice respite, though Walker’s song is pure, super-totally-scary a capella brilliance. As mixed bags go, this one is mixed enough to not disappoint, though one wishes the artists’ work extended even a bit beyond such Hal Willner/NPR-approved fare. The highlights are Rufus Wainwright’s woozy, lyrical “Katona” and “Flies,” a beautiful, disturbing, and atmospheric number by Robert Wyatt with Brian Eno. –Mike McGonigal
