Music : Red Heaven - + Bonus CD

Rating: - Kristen Hersch breaks out with a keeper
Power rock with no frills, alternating with frequent acoustic interludes, spooky vocals and sur-rural lyrics not unlike prime Dylan - Hersch was exploring similar musical sources. Red Heaven grabbed my attention on its release because it truly seemed to be inspired by muses.

Hersch's lyrics have a timeless feeling of hard luck survivors in small remote towns separated by long stretches of highway - without ever making any such obvious references. The ensemble and production are bony and flexible in both electric and acoustic modes, casually shifting tempos and melodies (perhaps why it sounds unstructured to some), again making Red Heaven sound somewhat outside of its time and enduring as a musical document.

Dio's about as aggressive as anything on the CD, and Hersch and Mould sound great together, a little like Buddy and Julie Miller. I especially like Pearl, Dirty Water, Backroad, and Rosetta Stone but there are no bad songs and the sequencing holds up interest from end to end. Red Heaven is as good as their excellent self-titled debut (though a little more primal), much better than University, and highly recommended for anybody who wants to explore this band.

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Rating: - No target audience besides the fans then
Although shortly released after the departure of two of the four members of the band ( guitarist Tanya Donelly and bassist Fred Abong left to form Belly ) , " Red Heaven " is a particulary strong collection of solid rock tunes .

Hersh's hellish vocals once again whip the air , the lyrics are out of control and striking ( " you're furious / i beg you for sin / i beg your skin / you buy a w***e / don't give her water !..." ) plus the element of suprise , a key behind the group's eternal freshness is still here . " Pearl " for example starts off as an acoustic melody of some sort and exactly when you feel like the song has nothing more to say , the Muses deceide to rock , giving to the track a whole new dimension .

So far so good . Fans will be happy for one more time yet ... how many others will be impressed ? It's strange how less organised this sounds and how less important it feels in comparison to " The Real Ramona " - arguably the band's best record - released just one year ago . With the exception of " Carnival Wing " - so beautiful in it's own angst - there's not a track here capable of braking the wall standing between their indie fanbase and the wider rock audience .

Kristin Hersh deserves credit for not giving a damn all these years for what the charts want and for playing the game always in her own terms . " Red Heaven " clearly doesn't lack the talent nor the energy . What's missing here is the vision .

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Rating: - one of the muses' best
i've read interviews in which kristin hersh has said that this was her favorite throwing muses album. the trimmed-down three piece band rocks hard and tight on this one, and still manages to include a lot of variety and originality. definitely worth repeated listens.

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Rating: - A Departure From Their Earlier Style
If you're a fan of earlier Throwing Muses, such as House Tornado, Hunkpapa, or The Real Ramona, this album will disappoint you. It seems a lot changed between The Real Ramona and this album. For one, Tanya Donelley left band. She seemed to give the band a needed contrast to Kristin Hersh's depressive songs.

I am a fan of Belly and the Breeders, so it should be no surprise that post-Donelly Throwing Muses has very little appeal to me. However, Hersh's solo efforts are beautiful and you should check out "Hips & Makers."

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Rating: - absolutely brilliant
This is my favorite Muses album (Limbo is a close second) and they really rock out here. Also, some of Hersh's most mature work displayed in all it's glory on "Pearl" and "Carnival Wig." All the songs are great here except I dislike "Dio" (question of taste I guess). Sophisticated alternative rock with great lyrics. Oh, and David's drumming is fantastic.