Review Summary: Mismatched expectations
Conceptually, technically and intellectually, Kristin Hayter is, almost undeniably, an exceptionally compelling artist - which is why it’s so hard to admit that really only half the material on her much-awaited re-emergence as The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter is enjoyable to listen to. As Lingua Ignota, tracks on her previous SINNER GET READY like PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE saw Hayter completely and finally emerge from beneath the shroud of aural violence that characterised her work to that point for a moment of magnetic vulnerability, managed to sublimate grief and despair into moments of unparalleled beauty, and seemed to indicate a bold new direction for her artistry moving forward.
Unfortunately though, to those hoping for a sequel to THE SOLITARY BRETHREN OF EPHRATA, SAVED! represents an unexpected left turn that may not live up to the expectations set by the moments of brilliance shown on previous works. Production artefacts and a slightly nasal delivery meant to evoke the old-timey gospel and Appalachian folk music that serve as aesthetic inspiration here become grating to listen to, especially among the first few tracks, and the preponderance of references to charismatic Pentecostalist liturgical idiosyncrasies peppered throughout invoke less of the cosmic horror of artists like David Eugene Edwards or Dorothia Cottrell and more of the winking and nudging of the Book of Mormon. This isn’t to say that Hayter needs to mine her personal trauma as a precondition for her art to be worthwhile; she has a voice technically and aesthetically pleasing enough to make an album of soul standards essential. Neither is it to say that art must be pleasant to be good - Hayter’s previous work is proof positive enough that art can succeed by being challenging, uncomfortable or unpleasant. The result on SAVED! however, is an album that forsakes the breaking down of barriers foreshadowed by SINNER GET READY and begins again to erect obstacles to enjoyment without the payoff, catharsis or reward proffered as a whole by previous works.
There are moments of triumph here - SAVED!’s centrepiece, Hayter’s rendition of the traditional Wayfaring Stranger is affecting and gorgeously arranged, and it’s prologue May This Comfort And Protect You is euphoric and transcendent. Hayter has every right to make the art she wants to, and has been clear on her intention to overlay historical constraints and avant-garde technique atop accessible frameworks. On that level, SAVED! succeeds unreservedly. It just so happens that, unfortunately, the insistence on exploring such techniques and constraints, along with the relative position of her tongue and cheek on some of these cuts may come at the expense of enjoyment for those looking forward to an exploration of the more stripped down, minimalist sound Hayter began to delve into on her previous release.
