An almost -ian, primarily spoken word fever dream of a record, finds teaming up with childhood hero and co-founder for a trip down the rabbit hole. The mercurial bandleader and street theater performer has rarely sounded this subdued, but her hushed cadence is simpatico with 's whispery vocals and fractured electronics, and it's in that mutual admiration that casts its spell. More of an art project than a collection of songs, the nine-track set is a thicket of sound in which elusive melodies seek vanished harbors and twisted characters deliver surreal narrations, both spoken and sung. ~ James Christopher Monger