Review Summary: "What You Gonna Do When the Chips Are Down?"
If I could sum up the music of 2010 with just one word, it would be: Ambition. From Kanye West to Sufjan Stevens to Joanna Newsom, a great number of artists released masterful albums that ultimately worked because of their scope and ambition. One record, though, that seems to have received a significant less amount of recognition is Anaïs Mitchell’s
Hadestown. In retrospect, it’s just as deserving of the praise that was bestowed upon the likes of
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and
Have One On Me. With
Hadestown, Mitchell has taken the well-known Greek myth of Orpheus and transported it to America’s heartland during the economic crisis of the 1930s. Not only does Mitchell retell the myth of Orpheus in a straightforward and unambiguous way, but she uses its central characters, who are each voiced by an individual singer, to explore the hardships that accompany relationships, all the while crafting diverse songs to create one of the best folk albums in recent memory.
Upon initial glance at
Hadestown’s track list, it may seem quite daunting because of the myriad guest stars that appear, and that’s enough for any potential listener to be wary. One of the album’s greatest strength’s, though, is that each guest’s voice perfectly serves its purpose in generating a narrative to construct this retelling of the myth of Orpheus. Justin Vernon, best know as Bon Iver, turns in what may be his best vocal performance as Orpheus, Mitchell assumes the role of Eurydice, and Greg Brown and Ani DiFranco sing as Hades and Persephone, respectively, among several other artists who are involved throughout the album. Using different voices for each character not only makes the album more dynamic, but it humanizes each character and makes them all the more relatable, too. It’s worth noting as well that Greg Brown is utterly fascinating as Hades, and he nearly steals the spotlight from the other singers. Because each character’s voice is distinguished from the rest, Orpheus’ journey to the Underworld to get back Eurydice becomes all the more convincing, and the listener has no choice but to feel the same emotions that the character is expressing. It’s also an undeniably effective technique that engages the listener and makes the story all the more easy to follow.
As brilliantly utilized as each singer on the album is, the album’s biggest success is Mitchell’s lyrics. Through her lyrics, she manages to flesh out each and every character. There’s no better example of this than Eurydice. Of course, I cannot speak for anyone else, but every time I’ve encountered this particular myth, Eurydice has never come off as too bright. In
Hadestown, however, Eurydice seems to choose Hades over her love for Orpheus, “Orpheus, my heart is yours / Always was and will be... / Oh, my heart, it aches to stay / But the flesh will have its way.” Mitchell, through just a few lines, gives agency to Eurydice and expresses the power our carnal desires ultimately have over us, and how living through such hardships (i.e. an economic crisis), a recurring theme throughout the album, can make it difficult to stay with the one we claim to love with all our heart. Along with adding more depth to the character of Eurydice, she also explores the moral ambiguity of such decisions. Can one truly stick to their principles when they’re fighting such issues as poverty and hunger, or as the Haden triplets beautifully sing, “What you gonna down when the chips are down?” The world that Mitchell has created in
Hadestown is cruel, and if one doesn’t fend for themselves, “You get a knife in the back.” It’s a cynical view of the world, sure, but functions well within the album’s narrative, which is what matters when raising such themes, and truly makes Mitchell's retelling of the myth all the more intriguing and unique.
Musically, there’s perhaps no better way to describe
Hadestown than to say that it’s a “folk opera,” and Mitchell’s voice is almost like a cross between Joanna Newsom and Laura Stevenson. But, despite being labeled as a “folk opera,” another impressive aspect of
Hadestown is that the songs are diverse and further serve to keep the listener entertained for its near hour long runtime. Again, what helps keep the songs diverse is that different singers are constantly used throughout. Such songs as “Way Down Hadestown” and “When the Chips Are Down” are irresistibly catchy and utilize other singers who are not among the main four, while others like “Our Lady of the Underground” are undeniable chill and work well to introduce characters. The one drawback, though, is that some songs, like the aforementioned “Our Lady of the Underground,” may not work outside of their intended purpose. It’s hard to argue that said song wouldn’t feel tacky when taken out of context; however, the whole point of such songs is that they’re created to continue and establish a narrative. If
Hadestown has a flaw, though, it’s that the first half is superior to the latter half. This isn’t to say that the latter half isn’t worth listening to, but few of the songs are able to compete with “Why We Build the Wall” and “Way Down Hadestown”. Still, Mitchell has surely created a remarkable album that is not only worth hearing but worth the praise that every other ambitious album released in 2010 received, too, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better folk album within the last few years.
