This is not the Mirah who innocently devoted an album’s worth of songs to a number of different insects, nor is it the Mirah who gave lyrical love advice through the poppy C’mon Miracle. With (a)spera’s return to Spanish-influenced guitar plucking, addressing listeners directly and thinly veiled moralizing politics, comes the striking of a different note: gloom.
Mirah’s poetic lyrics narrate nostalgic bouts of regret and a preoccupation with death. In “The World is Falling,” she sings, “The wind you say, the storm that came and darker days might come and stay and signal our defeat.”
In spite of this, the album will not leave listeners disturbed. There is a familiar beauty here. Her sincere voice, backed by frequent collaborators like Chris Funk of the Decemberists, depicts tragedy poignantly. The one dance-y track is the staccato “Country of the Future,” and another highlight is the soulful “Gone are the Days.” (a)spera reflects a new sense of maturity, but growing older is certainly a downer.
