While we’re on the subject of albums that are skirting below the radar as of late, please allow me to introduce you to Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown, “a modern folk opera whose songs tell the tale of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice re-imagined and set in the United States.”
The album dropped early last month, and though I could see how a description like that doesn’t perfectly market it for spring break season, what if I told you that Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon plays Orpheus, Greg Brown plays Hades, Ani DiFranco plays Persephone, and The Low Anthem’s Ben Knox Miller plays Hermes? Well played, indeed.
We could pour over the details, but you’re better off downloading the song “Wait For Me,” which features Vernon and Knox Miller, here (via Jagjaguwar and Righteous Babe). Also, the full tracklist is below:
Hadestown
01 Wedding Song – Justin Vernon & Anaïs Mitchell
02 Epic (Part I) – Justin Vernon
03 Way Down Hadestown – Ben Knox Miller, Ani DiFranco, Justin Vernon
04 Songbird Intro – instrumental
05 Hey, Little Songbird – Greg Brown, Anaïs Mitchell
06 Gone, I’m Gone – Anaïs Mitchell, the Haden Triplets
07 When the Chips are Down – the Haden Triplets
08 Wait for Me – Ben Knox Miller, Justin Vernon
09 Why We Build The Wall – Greg Brown, Chorus
10 Our Lady of the Underground – Ani DiFranco, Chorus
11 Flowers (Eurydice’s Song) – Anaïs Mitchell
12 Nothing Changes – the Haden Triplets
13 If It’s True – Justin Vernon
14 Lover’s Desire – instrumental
15 His Kiss, the Riot – Greg Brown
16 Doubt Comes In – Justin Vernon
17 I Raise My Cup to Him – Anaïs Mitchell, Ani DiFranco
18 His Kiss The Riot
19 Doubt Comes In
20 I Raise My Cup To Him