Shara Worden is everywhere these days. A guest on many of this year’s and last year’s finest records (Sufjan Stevens, Clogs, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Son Lux, Colin Stetson), the Detroit based musician has returned focus to her primary musical project, My Brightest Diamond. Worden plans to release the third full length record by the project entitled All Things Will Unwind on October 18th on Asthmatic Kitty. Much of the material for the new record will be familiar to those who have been following Mrs. Worden over the last six months, as the 11 songs that comprise the new album have been the focal point of a recent solo tour, and a handful of theater shows backed by New York City chamber ensemble, yMusic. The first song released from All Things Will Unwind, entitled “Breaking Through to the Other Side,” prominently features the contributions of that (self described) indie-classical sextet.

My Brightest Diamond // Reaching Through To The Other Side [mp3] from the forthcoming All Things Will Unwind

The recorded version will take some getting used to for those who have become accoustomed to the various live recordings of the track, as the drum beats impart a significantly different energy and feel to the piece. The track is representative of the change in direction that Worden has made on this latest grouping of songs, and in fact this record may finally provide a full realization of the artist’s original vision for My Brightest Diamond, as pop music that is developed through more classicly inspired instrumentation and composition. Gone for the most part in the new material is the prominent electric guitar work of Worden. In it’s place the artist utilizes an ecclectic range of musical implements from “instrument of the moment” – the autoharp, to an African thumb piano, to a miniture, manual pump organ. Throughout all of the procedings yMusic provides their trademark virtuioistic, wind heavy playing.

Also in the fall, yMusic will be releasing their first collection of recorded works, entitled Beautiful Mechanical. The album will feature chamber works by new music composers Judd Greenstein and Sarah Kirkland Snider, experimental pop musicians Annie Clark (St. Vincent) and Ryan Lott (Son Lux) and non other than My Brightest Diamond’s own Shara Worden. The album has attracted significant attention ahead of it’s release and the ensemble’s kickstarter funding goal was met in 5 days. There’s no reason to stop giving now; maybe they will raise the money to make New Amsterdam’s first vinyl release. Provided for your consideration is a live recording of yMusic playing New Amsterdam co-owner, Judd Greenstein’s excellent “Clearing, Dawn, Dance.”

yMusic // Clearing, Dawn, Dance (Composed by Judd Greenstein) [mp3]

As an added bonus, both albums will contain contributions by Rochester based musician and visual artist, DM Stith. The artist will be providing artwork for both projects and has contributed vocals to the My Brightest Diamond record.

Connect with My Brightest Diamond // Site | Facebook | Label

Connect with yMusic // Site | Kickstarter | Label

Connect with Judd Greenstein // Site

If you didn’t notice, while we’re going through our Best of 2009 List, we’re going to limit our posting to once per day.  This gives us a break from the demands of writing throughout the holidays too, and will allow us to hopefully be more exact with our praise of the year’s best albums.  With that out of the way, let’s start the countdown:

40. St. Vincent – Actor
Andy: Unranked :: Dave: 28

Annie Clark has a confidence easily discernible in her steady singing voice. On this, her sophomore effort, an artist clearly comfortable in her craft has constructed an album full of songs with characters putting on airs. Facing a myriad of issues, our characters find themselves pretending to have it all together, and not doing such a great job with it. Written while immersed in the fantasy of Disney fairy tales and their soundtracks, Clark is more interested in the turmoil with her lyrics and the musical accompaniments rarely falter in exacerbating these senses. Despite the focus of much of the album’s material, the level of skill and precision on display in this very solid release belies the subject matter in that it does not appear to be an act.

St. Vincent – The Party (mp3) from Actor

39. Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
Andy: 24 :: Dave: Unranked

From the opening looped drumbeat, one realizes that the quartet self-dubbed as Monsters of Folk isn’t sticking exactly to the prescribed folk formula.  Comprised of folkie-heavyweights Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James – and joined by Bright Eyes member and Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis, Monsters of Folk is a showcase for each member without being an exclusive vehicle for any particular individual.

The result is a surprisingly cohesive album; often, when disparate musicians collaborate, it ends up sounding like an amalgam of their styles where nothing ends up working particularly well (see: Jay-Z/Linkin Park’s Collision Course).  Conversely, Monsters of Folk works because no one works too far outside of their respective niches – if it sounds like an M. Ward track, it won’t stray far from his style.  It may be that this may be the only record of this supergroup having ever actually been a band in anything other than rumor form.  And if this is all we ever hear from this group, it’s a debut and final album that they should be proud of.

Monsters of Folk – Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.) (mp3) from Monsters Of Folk