The head girl of ragged pre-grunge/riot-grrrl sweet-tonsiled US indie, with her influential band Throwing Muses (also featuring the equally spell-binding Tanya Donnelly in their formative years), has spent much of her solo life toning things down a little, seeking a sunlit zen, a folk-brushed calm, learning to sing like an angel, or indeed a star. Perversely, now she’s named an album as such, that’s not exactly the case anymore. Obviously driven by her aggressive metal-plated head-shaking side project 50ft Wave and the recent reformation of her old band, ‘Learn To Sing Like A Star is a coarse, fervent change of gear, while still clinging on to the solid songwriting instinct that has made her such a treasure over the past 20 years.
Her voice – her major asset – sounds more gutsy than ever, weathered and wise, part of the very grain of the songs and the stories she tells, weary sometimes, but carrying a heavy glamour weighed down by experience and passion. And just when you might have expected her inspiration to be running short, or at least more routine, she ensures that the most prolific stretch of her career also becomes one of her most imaginative and electric.
The album is carved up from the brooding first beat of ‘In Shock’ onwards by a rich, forceful string section, grubby beds of bass and scrappy attitude-laden guitar, bonded by an inherent folky cohesion. ‘Nerve Endings’ has the feel of a low minor key Nick Cave lament performed by PJ Harvey, while excellent crawling, discordant closing track ‘The Thin Man’ sounds like Patti Smith leading the Velvet Underground. Patti Smith is evoked regularly, not necessary because of the fury of her 70s heyday, but rather with the intense, experienced vocal qualities that have kept her going ever since, up to the current day. A deep masterclass, she’s more teacher than student.