OH PERILOUS WORLD

Oh Perilous World was a pretty ambitious undertaking for Melora Creager, who released it under the band name Rasputina despite it being almost completely a solo effort (although Jonathan TeBeest once again provides percussion and plays a bit of piano). This is the sixth Rasputina album and Creager's third release on the Filthy Bonnet Recording Company label in less than three years: one studio, one live and one solo. Despite the presumably small budget she managed to offer the record as a both CD and vinyl album as well as a 2-CD deluxe edition (which is the one I have).

I don't know what the single disc version looks like, but the deluxe edition comes in a rather tasteful trio-fold meant to look something like an old-time radio show program. In addition to the two CDs and several photos, the package includes a 14-page booklet with lyrics and/ or background stories for most of the songs on the first disc. For the first time this album includes all original material (prior Rasputina records all contain at least some covers and/ or traditional tunes), and apparently Creager wrote all the music and lyrics this time around. The themes are loosely based on headlines she culled from various printed and on-line new sources, and range from a couple of songs about the tiny island nation Pitcairn to terrorism to the Katrina hurricane and its aftermath. But like much of Creager's work she isn't constrained by facts or simple recounting of events. Instead she weaves odd, poetic character sketches and fanciful tales based on these themes that are sometimes narrative, sometimes sarcastic and sometimes words that only make sense to her and presumably to the band's most ardent fans.

Despite the lineup consisting only of her and TeBeest, Creager manages to craft some breadth of sound by layering her cello and dulcimer playing and vocals, as well as the various percussion instruments and piano played by TeBeest. I should mention Sarah Bowman also provides some backing vocals.

While I'm tempted to give a blow-by-blow analysis of each song, I think this would be counter-productive since the intent clearly seems to be to lay out a theme and music and let the listener's imagination do the rest for them. I will say that musically "The Pruning" with its strident and slow cello and chilling piano may be the best track on the first disc, while the rather melodic and indie-sounding "Cage in a Cave" is probably the most radio-friendly, although the U.S.'s National Public Radio is about the only place I've ever heard any Rasputina songs on the airwaves.

The second is a little less even. "The Question of Time" is a quirky spoken-word thing (as is "The Humanized Mice", while "Identity Tokens" combines cello with what sounds like a banjo but I believe is actually a dulcimer and a sort of Kafkaesque tale. That song would also appear on Creager's live solo album 'Melora a la Basilica'. There's also another mix of "The Pruning" with male vocals and trio of short spoken-word stories set to droning cello ("Flood Corps", "Desert Vampire" and "The Contractors"), plus a cheesy tune that sounds like an old-time movie score titled "Incapable of Regret". The second disc closes with the lovely cello instrumental "Infidel".

Creager seems to get a little better at her craft each time out and this record is no exception. Still not quite to the level she would achieve with 'Melora a la Basilica' and 'Sister Kinderhook', but definitely on-par with her first two highly-produced albums on the Columbia label in the late nineties. A solid three (out of five) star effort and well recommended to both Rasputina fans and to those who are just curious. This one is worth picking it.

peace