Customer Reviews

C'Mon Miracle

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's sort of surprising for me to see that other people rate C'MON MIRACLE as a relatively weak effort, not because I think it isn't true, but because this is the only one of her albums that I've heard, and I think it's fantastic.

From what I understand, the music on this album was influenced by the time that she spent in Buenos Aires, Argentina; this does across in several songs (not only "The Dogs of B.A."), as the songs are generally acoustic and unaccompanied by especially prominent percussion. It's decidedly pleasant.

What's really impressive about this CD, though, is the variety and innovativeness. In "We're both so sorry," for example, two voices (at least one is Mirah's, although they could conceivably both be hers) recite the same monologue simultaneously; in "The Dogs of B.A.," an Argentinian woman talks in spanish about a storm. Both songs are among the best on the album.

Mirah's voice is impressive as well, and her lyrics are generally very good (although she waxes a little preachy on "Jerusalem").

All in all, C'MON MIRACLE is absolutely worth buying, and I absolutely look forward to listening to more of her CDs.

I thought it was about time that Mirah got back into the studio to do what she does best, and where she belongs. I mean, I loved Songs from the Black Mountain Music Project but the confines of a studio atmosphere really ironically allow for the fleshing out of her ideas better than their stripped down counterparts, especially when Phil Elvrum is on hand to produce.

I think something happened to our Mirah during her trip up into the Black Mountains. Perhaps it was the influence of cabin partner Ginger Brooks Takahashi, but Mirah has returned with a new outlook on songwriting. The songs on her previous albums were serious enough musings on love, sex, and friendship, but she's moved on to--while not less personal, certainly heavier subjects. There is nothing on C'mon Miracle to match the epic heights of "Cold Cold Water" (evidently a one-shot deal), but these are songs on subjects that are obviously very meaningful to her. My only concern is that they may turn off her fan base, who look to her to sing what they're thinking and feeling about their own lives, and that these songs may be too personal to reach universality.

The very mellow "Nobody Has to Stay" introduces the mood that pervades the album, with "Jerusalem" (download)--an open letter to the Holy City--only upping the tempo slightly. Heavy production first crops up on "The Light" (one senses the hand of usual producer, and Microphone, Phil Elvrum). The grinding, popping, and blipping accompany Mirah's voice nicely, and an added bonus is a jangly guitar bridge that takes this sweet song to its end.

The first of two songs recorded while Mirah was in Argentina, country-folk strumming and some restrained brushwork (from Bryce Panic) are a part of "Don't Die in Me," a definite highlight of C'mon Miracle that starts out simply but slowly builds to a crescendo of power that continues in "Look Up!" which showcases Mirah's voice to great effect. Unfortunately, her voice is the only good thing in "We're Both So Sorry," yet another breakup song that is way too weird musically and, thus, way too long.

"The Dogs of B.A." (Buenos Aires, this is the other Argentinian recording), however, is a quick, poppy, bass-driven song that is infectious and the usual recipient of a press of the Repeat button. The spoken Spanish interlude near the end only adds to the charm, even though I have no idea what is being said. (That's probably best, now that I think about it.)

There's no particular standout along the lines of "Words Cannot Describe" (from You Think It's Like This, But Really It's Like This), "Cold Cold Water" (from Advisory Committee), or "Oh! September" (one of the Songs from the Black Mountain Music Project), but despite the many musical styles evident (and the few duds present) on C'mon Miracle, it is Mirah's most cohesive recording yet. Even the lesser songs fit well in the whole scheme of the album and Mirah's songwriting just keeps getting more and more interesting. This reviewer, for one, expects that more great things are in store.

At first, I was wary of liking this album and buying into the quasi- cult following of Mirah, but unbeknownst to me, i pretty much had no choice. The brief couple of days I was left without this album, (a friend was burning it) was like going cold turkey from a highly addicitive drug.

i'll grant you that some of these songs are a bit bumpy, but the good ones more than make up for the lapses. The gentle strumming of 'Nobody has to Stay' sets the stage for the album, Mirah's voice is at its best when its vulnerable. 'Jerusalem' is my personal favorite, and probably the most catchy song on the album. Along with its catchiness comes actual substance, a rare delicacy with today's current mode of music.

'Light' is a bit darker and more experimental. 'Dogs of B.A.' takes the culture of Buenos Aires and puts it into song. Some of the other songs may be a bit weak; such as 'We're Both so Sorry', which makes a valiant, if not flawed use of unconventional instruments.

the album as a whole is strong. buy it. now.

Mirah is a truly unique artist. She was born on her mother's kitchen table, and is the result of being raised on a maple syrup farm in Pennsylvania. Now residing in the pacific northwest, she is now one of the best artists on one of the best indie labels in the country (K). Swinging back and forth from muted grace to utterly cinematic, Mirah's albums always has a distinctive feel about them. "C'mon Miracle" in many ways feels like her previous, the luminous "Advisory Committee" (2002), but it becomes apparent that this is a less ambitious and quieter affair very soon into the album's progression. "C'mon Miracle" feels like a brilliant artist just checking in, letting you know that she's still in top form, and still has a lot to say. Going from effectively effortless ("Jerusalem" is a perfect little song) to unabashed pianic beauty ("Promise To Me"), "C'mon Miracle" proves that downright brilliance doesn't have to be hard.

Its hard to pinpoint what exactly makes C'Mon Miracle so good...it could be the beautiful vocals, the imaginative instrumentation, or the gentle mood that enmeshes the entire album. Whatever it is, it's caught my attention and made me feel excited that their's still artists out there who aren't afraid to go against the grain and create music thats original and inspired by more than just money. I like listening to each song on this album, and its very hard to find a record that I dont want to skip through the bulk of. Some reviewers have seemed a bit dissapointed with her latest effort saying that it's strayed somewhat from Mirah's previous albums; but I think that C'Mon Miracle is a natural prgression that fits all of her previous musical ideas into a coherent little package. If you like Mirah, you should also try listening to Tegan & Sara, they're two female twins from Canada who sound kind of rocky, kind of acousticy, and kind of folky...I'm allowed to make up words on here right?!

This is the first album I've purchased of Mirah's after hearing a song played in the food co-op on campus. I'm very taken by the entire CD, but am now curious to buy an earlier album for comparative purposes. Her music strikes me as folkie-alternative and borderline experimental; and amazing, it's just amazing. The production is interesting in a good way. I love every song on this album, I would absolutely recommend it to anyway, but especially if your taste in music is even a little eclectic and you generally like female singer-songwriters.

I know many would probably disagree, but I would have to say this is my favorite of Mirah's albums. C'Mon Miracle has a sort of natural flow to it as if all of this was pent up inside of her head for years and this was the product of her relieving her brain of all of the genious creativity. I also like that it's lacking in some of those backround noises from previous albums that I always felt to be so quirky they were almost obnoxious. As if some of them were put in to make the music more "abstract" or "experimental", but mostly took away from the music as opposed to adding to it. This album is beautiful because it's so honest. And perfect for those of us that live in Seattle.

Mirah's lilting voice and tight, endearing songwriting combine with Phil Elvrum's strong contribution as producer to create an album that is well-done and completely listenable, but a little bit of a disappointment in the context of her earlier work. I still dole out four stars, so I don't mean to imply that the album's not good; it's just not what I hoped it would be.

C'mon Miracle does however show a lot of maturity. With quiet, string-accompanied pieces like "Nobody Has to Stay" and lo fi, rambunctious songs like "The Light," Mirah shows the ability to retread the broad range of musical ground she covered with her earlier albums. Still, some songs, like "Jerusalem," seem to fall uninterestingly in the space between her heady and low brow approaches to making music.

There's enough good music here to keep most anyone happy, though. While some of the highs of the her earlier albums seem to be missing, songs like "We're Both So Sorry" and "The Dogs of B.A." are compelling enough to keep the listener's interest. They just don't happen to be as compelling as some of Mirah's earlier work. If just you're discovering Mirah, I'd recommend trying another album. If you're already a fan, you may not be blown away, but you'll be pleased.

I am a big microphones fan - hadn't checked out Mirah's solo stuff before though - This album is really good - definetly apparent is Phil Elvrum's influence - but Mirah has her own style - I think her vocals are great - but most of all, the production sounds lovely - especially the second half of the album, which takes on a quieter, calmer, more somber feel - the album is a great listen - highly recomended!

coming back strong with her next album, this one doesn't disappoint. i've said it before, and i'll say it again: this is what you want your girlfriend to sound like when she sings-preferably, sings you to sleep:) this album is back on track for those who couldn't get into a.c. (shame on you if you couldn't) and each song seems to blend into the next. sure, there's a few standouts but don't get hung up on just listening to those, play the WHOLE album over and over again. what a lady....