ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2010 No. 3 – ANAIS MITCHELL – Hadestown

We’ve already documented some seriously credible examples of why the album length music format survives as an important art form in the modern musical environment. They don’t always have to be laden with deep concept, but the idea that a suite of songs sequenced so that it matters which track follows which, wrapped up in an eye catching or thought provoking package needs to be maintained. In 2010 the artist who made best use of this long established method was Anais Mitchell with her “Folk-Opera” ‘Hadestown’. The combination of the words ‘folk’ and ‘opera’ alone are enough to send most fleeing to the nearest exit but wait; this is a 20 song story cycle that is bursting with entertaining songs, music and concise storytelling. Using as its starting point the Ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, we are told of how Orpheus undertakes a mission to save his wife Eurydice from the underworld. In truth folk and opera rarely come into the overall makeup, this is much closer to a 70s style Rock Opera, albeit one with a tangible acoustic roots vibe, a West End musicals flare for memorable melodic infectiousness and a Rock ‘n’ Roll heartbeat. The original ‘Hadestown’ was toured in New England on stage with a 22 strong cast and this album has been adapted from those shows. Here the characters are played by Justin Vernon (AKA Bon Iver’s mainman) who sings the Orpheus part, Ani DiFranco plays Persephone, Greg Brown is Hades with Mitchell herself singing Eurydice. In 2010 it has been an underground hit but has yet to make the kind of widescale impact it so richly deserves. It’s not enough that the ‘Hadestown’ legacy is a cultish one, appreciated by a clued-up few. There’s nothing here, musically especially, that couldn’t reach out to a very large audience indeed. My six-year-old daughter sings the chorus to the title track long after the CD has finished playing. In January Anais Mitchell plays a couple of low key ‘Hadestown’ performance dates in London with the assistance of some notable UK folk names. So this is a call to arms; get on board now and support this project, let’s help give the ‘Folk-Opera’ worlds signature piece of work the long life it deserves and not rest until there’s been a run in the West End. I’m serious, the paying public tolerated a Ben Elton musical about Queen, they tolerate X Factor christmas singles, they allow Billy-Ray Cyrus’s daughter to corrupt the impressionable minds of their children; maybe just once they might react positively if something really good was thrust upon them? It’s a long shot for sure but it has to be worth a try.

Free music - Hadestown