Innocence Mission
(Badman)
Anyone looking for a radical shift in MO from the Innocence Mission might as well head to the tropics in search of a snowstorm. The fact is, after more than 20 years and a steady string of elegiac albums stacked with lethargic lullabies and plaintive laments, any change in stance might be measured in incidental increments rather than any kind of significant shift. Consequently, there are no surprises here, but those who crave an essential intimacy will find My Room in the Trees as warmly caressing as ever.
Delicate yet alluring, it finds its focus in the fragile vocals of singer Karen Peris, whose waif-like delivery brings a wistful air to this series of delicate and airy melodies. While the music rarely rises above a hush, somehow the group manages to sustain interest and attention over the course of these 13 tracks, subtlety shifting the settings from the swaying violin of "Rain (Setting Out in the Leaf Boat)" to the cascading piano figure of "North American Field Song" and the shimmering instrumental, "Mile Marker." They find their muse in nothing more spectacular than a stroll through the neighborhood, but it's that quiet, soft-spoken vulnerability that all but ensures the Innocence mission live up to their name.
Standout Tracks: "Rain (Setting Out in the Leaf Boat"), "Mile Marker," "The Happy Mondays" LEE ZIMMERMAN
