In 1991 The Innocence Mission delivered Umbrella--a tour-de-force work of ethereal, female majesty that rivaled the best of the Cocteau Twins. A work that was uniquely American for it's ilk and also smacked of the best of Natalie Merchant. Since then the Mission has lost it's focus and I feared them lost. Joyfully I can report that after two sub-par follow ups, Small Planes brings the Mission back into such vivid focus that, for me, it's as if a deceased loved-one has come back to life. Karen Peris is still in command of her delicately powerful voice, and back is her amazing gift for crafting hauntingly graceful melodies. Somber (think Mazzy Star) yet hopeful and precious--definitely one of the year's best.
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