Kristin Hersh - Learn to Sing Like a Star

One of my favorites

This is one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite all-time artists. This is one of the few albums where I pretty much like 90% or more of what's on it, which is very high by my standards. A lot of my favorite bands typically only hit like the 60-70% mark. Some of it is instrumental filler but listened to as a whole (like we all did before mixed tapes and MP3s) those instrumental tracks really add to the feel of this album and its proper songs. Not to be ignored is the terrific string work of The McCarricks on this album. They especially brought this music to life at her live show which I was fortunate to have come through my city last year. Couple this album played live with all her other great work and you will see what a powerful artist too many people have not had the opportunity to even know about. July 26, 2008

Singing and Production is only Part of the Battle

So, I ask, what separates vocal-driven rock from pop rock? If one were feeling smitten after listening to Learn to Sing Like a Star, a solo album by Throwing Muses/ 50 Foot Wave`s Kristin Hersh, they would probably go on a diatribe about how much hatred they have towards corporate pop rock, and that this album has more to say than a pop album. Problem is, this Hersh record does not leave much to be captivated about; it may leave one amused, sometimes moved, but in the end, it is not more than another streamlined album, in that it is only hook, production, and vocal driven. The only difference that could possibly be pointed out is that this is truly Kristin Hersh. It's not a product of what she wants us to believe, or wants to be, or just wants to sell-- rather she did, in fact, produce the album herself, this is all her words (no other songwriters here,) and most importantly, her throaty, yet soaring vocals are not tweaked to make her sound better than she is-- her voice here is simply exceptional, and is, by far, the centerpiece of Learn to Sing Like a Star.

Now, this is a beautiful album in the way of its intention, but not actual affect. In that it is well composed, driving, and sometimes oddly poetic, yet it's not without a sense that it could be so much better if these satisfactory, but fragmented lyrics had something in way of image or clear-cut meaning to latch onto. Instead the songwriting is made up of general angst-ridden statements, and gray areas that tell but don't show, while the orchestrations do not take an extra step to make it something special. What is needed is more reverb, that live sounding instrument sound, instead of the too-polished-for-the-sake-of-it sound that renders it streamlined, pop music.

Yet, the gray area continues; in the way that it's mainstream, but more heart seemed to go into it than most of the generic sounds you hear on mainstream radio. Every song is impeccably augmented with quaint piano, quailed cello, and remorseful violin, to give an austere feeling of the torment in Hersh's voice. The rest is built from drummer David Lovering-- also of Throwing Muses-- that is often held in the background, but still present in the consciousness-- and listen to the opener, In Shock, for a straight-shot through rocker, or Nerve Endings as a peek into the albums mellow, low-key dark side.

Though many of the songs here are good, with the exception of the nothing-to-it, Ice, and the disappointing and unsatisfying album closers Wild Vanilla and The Thin Man. While the two piano tracks (titled Piano 1, and Piano 2,) as well as Christian Hearse, are all solely instrumental pieces that either seem like filler, just to let one breath, as they don't do much to support, or detract from the album-- and that dance-on-the-line is apparent in the end of Learn to Sing Like a Star, as it is equal parts dazzling yet pretentious, and cliqued, albeit a well-orchestrated album. It may be something that one might not play much, but does not mind it as mood-setting background music during a peaceful night.


*** (Out of 5)


By Song (Out of 10)

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Note: tracks that are intros, interludes, or do not feel like full songs are rated on a scale of minus two-- to neutral-- to plus two, and the songs are not counted in the divider of the final score (just the points are.)

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1. In Shock-- 8

2. Nerve Endings-- 8

3. Day Glo-- 7

4. Christian Hearse-- -1

5. Ice-- 5

6. Under the Gun-- 7

7. Piano 1-- -1

8. Sugarbaby-- 7

9. Peggy Lee-- 7

10. Piano 2-- Neutral

11. Vertigo-- 7

12. Winter-- 7

13. Wild Vanilla-- 6

14. The Thin Man-- 5


72/11

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6.54 (out of 10) May 22, 2008

I Couldn't Believe What I Was Hearing?

Well first of all, I have to be perfectly honest here. I've been away from Kristin for about 10 to 12 years. So, I put Hips & Makers in the CD player and immediately came to Amazon and purchased about $75 worth of Kristin Hersh's CD's and could not believe what I was hearing! Trust me when I tell you, she will never top Hips & Makers. Each and every one "Sucked"! Awful! Totally washed up! Sorry Kristin, but I'm just telling it like it is! I want my money back! JMHO! September 24, 2007

Another masterpiece by Kristin

I was fortunate to see her playing this album last night at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC with The McCarricks. Full of energy and with a voice that will chill your soul. April 26, 2007

DIZZY MISS KRISTI

Being a junkie for Kristin Hersh can be a tricky business. Inevitably rewarding but at times it's a bit of a chore. Reading some of the reviews posted here I feel a bit cheated. Like I got a different album altogether.

"Learn To Sing..." has proven to be the most difficult listening in Hersh's canon, for me. It's bleak & depressing. That's nothing new for her, I realize...but it was always bathed in a radiant swirl before. The emotions conjured here end up feeling like a noxious hangover.

I don't expect her to regurgitate "The Real Ramona" time & again, but the gentle beauty of "Hips & Makers" has turned into a dizzying stream of mournful dirges. There is a very ugly sound here that even the exquisite strings on the first track cannot cover-up. Her voice, also seems immersed in muck.

After several listenings I've found only "Vertigo" to be bearable. It would've been a perfect title for this disc. It's disorienting, and not in a good way.

I wish I could feel as positive about this as some of the other reviewers here, but this one will be collecting dust on my shelf. April 19, 2007

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