A live recording from 1993 and mostly featuring previously unrecorded material. Both lead performers are simply in excelsis, their vocal abilities hardly diminished by the rigors of the road - if anything, they sound even more inspired as a result
On Mountain Goats' 4AD debut, John Darnielle strips his music of the tape hiss, opting for a clean sound that emphasizes the album's sometimes stinging, sometimes sublimely beautiful words and melodies - call it spite and polish.
This albums excellence is proof that time has done nothing to diminish the power of this band. Reunions are normally lost causes, but not in this case - the Muses returned with their loudest, noisiest, most immediate album yet and it's one of their best.
On The Grotto Kristin reverts to a starkly acoustic approach, contrasting with the electric, eponymous Throwing Muses album recorded (and released) at the same time. Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) and Andrew Bird (Bowl of Fire) accompany Kristin on this album.
Mixing traditional Maori instruments and vocals with more conventional orchestral strings, Gerrard has created the perfect soundtrack to accompany this acclaimed contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young girl fights to fulfill her destiny.
The songs remain simple, yet the interplay between the instruments is more intricate and lively than before, with new textures - twinkles of glockenspiel, splashes of Moog, quivers of theremin - falling with ease into the snug mix.
