Kristin Hersh – Hips and Makers

Review

Kristin Hersh's "Hips and Makers" is a solo debut that's as haunting as it is intimate, a far cry from the electric whirlwind of her work with Throwing Muses. Here, Hersh trades in the noise for the quiet strength of acoustic strings and her own voice, a combination that delivers raw, self-revealing lyrics with a force that's anything but soft. Her words dance between sharp self-reflection and dreamy ambiguity, all sung with a passion that's both fierce and fragile. The album's minimalist touch, with guest appearances by Jane Scarpantoni's cello and the occasional piano, gives it a spectral aura, like a series of whispered confessions. The title track and "Houdini Blues" stand out as prime examples of Hersh's ability to create emotional expanses with deceptively simple ingredients, crafting a record that's both a whisper and a roar, and a testament to the power of vulnerability in music. - Abby