Anais Mitchell : Hadestown
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: Righteous Babe Records
Hello and welcome to this review of the concept album Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, a folk opera based on the story of Orpheus and set in a post-apocalyptic Depression era America. If this sounds off-putting don’t worry, I felt the same way when I received the album, my gelatinous face shifting to an expression somewhere between horror and confusion. Then I played the album and every preconception and doubt I had were instantly vaporized. It’s probably the most exciting, engaging and gorgeous album I’ve heard in a long, long time.
A quick recap of the Orpheus tale: Orpheus’ wife Eurydice dies and Orpheus travels to the underworld to reclaim her. Using his exceptional musical talents he convinces Hades, god of the underworld, and his wife Persephone into releasing her. However this is under one condition, Orpheus must lead her out of the underworld by walking ahead of her and not speaking to her or turning around to look at her or she vanishes forever. Of course Orpheus, the plonker, looks around and Eurydice is lost forever.
All of this is convincingly and compellingly transposed upon the Depression era setting: Eurydice goes to the eponymous Hadestown lured by the promise of riches and security that Orpheus can’t provide but gangster-cum-mayor Hades can, with his wife Persephone re-imagined as a speakeasy madam. We find out however that Hadestown is more dystopia the utopia; a place where people are enslaved to Hades in the belief they will escape poverty by building a wall around Hadestown and keeping everyone else out. Orpheus goes to rescue Eurydice and wins over Persephone and the whole town with his folky charm until Hades has no choice but to release Eurydice, but with the same conditions and tragic outcome as in the original myth.
This may all sound a bit heavy and bewildering but if you listen to the album from start to finish the story is very clear and beautifully told through Anais’ lyrics. And believe me you will want to listen from start to finish, because every single song is a complete joy.
Part of what makes this album so wonderful is the casting. Anais Mitchell plays Eurydice and her voice has a butterfly-delicate tone that is ideal for her character. Persephone is played by Ani DiFranco who fills the character with plenty of sass, spirit and believable empathy and shines in her solo “Our Lady of the Underground”, a number which wouldn’t seem out of place in the musical Chicago. The part of Hades is sung by Greg Brown whose deep, throaty growl entirely embodies his character and makes the perfect foil to Anais when he seduces her in “Hey Little, Songbird”. Aside from a sterling supporting cast the cherry on top is Orpheus himself played my none other than Mr Bon Iver, aka Justin Vernon. Orpheus was meant to have produced music so beautiful he won the sympathy of the underworld, and with a voice like Bon Iver’s you can well believe it. The real appeal of the album comes not from the storytelling or the cast but rather the music that binds it all together. Although billed as a folk opera the musical influences stretch far beyond that to jazz, classical, indie and even touching on things like bangra and avant garde. Such diverse and contrasting musical styles are expertly implemented to provide a rich and vibrant soundscape that makes you really buy into the story.
I don’t think I could recommend this album enough. It is one of the few albums I’ve heard recently that demand you listen to it as an entire work, rather than just pick and choose tracks. If you give it the respect it deserves, and sit and listen to it giving it your full attention it provides an awesome experience. Every time you listen to it you hear something new, it’s level of depth is truly astounding. Next time I hear a folk opera based on the retelling of a Greek Myth is being released, or anything by the marvelous Anais Mitchell, I’m buying it.
Words: Harvey Ovenden
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Reply #2 on : Sun April 15, 2012, 04:53:42
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Reply #1 on : Mon July 25, 2011, 19:25:43
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Reply #3 on : Tue April 17, 2012, 20:39:55