Kristin Hersh – Cats And Mice (Kitten Charmer)
That old London bus analogy applies here. You wait so long for one to come along, and then two arrive together. In this case, it would be wise to try to catch both ‘buses’ i.e. Crooked, and Cats And Mice, that is. What is captured here on the latter is another unique recording, albeit different to Crooked, as this is a live recording coming to you unedited and complete, from Yoshi’s in San Francisco in 2009. So, a warts and all affair, except that there are no warts here at all, just a fine live performance, with the usual Kristin Hersh devoted audience sharing the limelight on occasion, bantering with her, even being granted a request or two.

She covers the whole gamut of her recording past, and even two from the then future (“Fortune” and “Krait” from the forthcoming Crooked). From “Pearl” and “You Cage” (Throwing Muses) to her own material, with “Sugar Baby” from Learn To Sing Like a Star one of the most recent. Traditional songs appear (“Banks Of The Ohio” actually opens the set), and songs from her childhood, such as “One Train”, which her grandparents apparently taught her. Kristin shakes the songs up somehow, making old songs sound new, and her own material ancient. She creates such intimacy between her and the songs she has chosen (and the way she chooses to deliver them), that they become melodic arrows that go straight to the heart of her audience.

I adore the stop-go tempo and the extra husky vocal delivery by Kristin that singles out “Deep Wilson” (from The Grotto album) for me. With just her acoustic guitar for accompaniment (without the violin that appears on the album), the song has even more intensity. The lyrics to this song build me a picture so easily, although the image is shrouded, and I see it only in an obscure way, as if there is a heat haze between the camera and me. “My new Orleans nickel ring… Your Deep Wilson tattoo… Under the bullshit radar… I came to find you”. And find me it does, every time, especially this no bullshit live version.

I do not know exactly how Kristin feels towards this album, as I was unable to get a quote from her. However, I am able to quote myself: “Live albums can be very hit and miss. In the case of Cats And Mice, though, it is definitely a tender triumph.”
www.myspace.com/kristinhersh

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