Mirah - 'Joyride: Remixes'

A 22-track journey through 'C'Mon Miracle' and related works, this album manages to accomplish what so few remix albums can: by placing Mirah's plaintive but ruthless lyrics in electronic contexts, it further elucidates the feelings and emotions of her work, often improving on the originals.

On 'C'Mon Miracle' the appeal was in Mirah's contrasting lyrics and music. The plucked guitars sometimes bordered on twee, while the underground rock tracks felt under-nourished and short of bass. On 'Joyride', Shawn Parke turns Nobody Has To Stay into a hip-hop ballad; Bryce Panic brings out the echoing dub drums of Don't Die In Me, throwing the lyrics into sharp relief; while Scream Club collaborator Ben Adorable turns Sweepstakes Prize into a gorgeous, Cure-esque thing of impossible 80s beauty. The drone-obsessed YACHT mar proceedings a touch by going a sonic experiment too far, but at 22 tracks you simply cannot fault Mirah's chosen remixers for pushing the envelope to just the right degree.

Moving out from the singer-songwriter corner in which she usually sits, there are moments of ethereal beauty and vocal exploration on 'Joyride' that elevate Mirah to Bjork-like heights of artistic accomplishment. This deeply satisfying collection is in many ways an even better introduction to her work than 'C'Mon Miracle'. [Bram Gieben]