CD REVIEW: (A)SPERA

From today's Clevescene:

Mirah
(A)spera
(K)

Even as far back as 2000's You Think It's Like This But It's Really Like This, singer-songwriter Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn seemed wise and poised beyond her years - a cool-customer Eternal roaming among us in the form of a very young woman. Five years have passes since 2004's C'mon, Miracle; during that in-the-wilderness half-decade, Mirah issued a two-disc remix collection, a greatest hits comp, and a collaborative record - with instrumental outfit Spectratone International - about, well, insects.

With (A)spera, this sultry siren - whose voice is as smooth and soothing as a Mississippi River stone - finally takes on a solo record that's as under-control and composed as she is. This might be a matter of maturity on the parts of Mirah and longtime producer Phil Elverum, who was behind the boards for three songs here; their earlier efforts tended to be as wildly schizophenic as they were compelling. (A)spera, on the other hand, somehow manages to hopscotch genres without rocking the boat: the wan, country & western lilt of "Education," the Sergio Mendes lite of "Country of the Future," and a meandering folk footpath like "The River" all co-exist comfortably together under one impeccably stitched umbrella.