Maura Dunst – Violin Songs EP
Uh-oh, a quartet of violins album. Yes, but the vocals are by one Maura Dunst & that makes all the difference. What a pairing: a classically sounding, sawing-smooth-as-silk violin with Maura’s pristine voice. There are only 5 songs, spare, & they’re blissful. “Strong Enough,” a Sheryl Crow cover, leads off & then cruises into a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In the Dark” that virtually reinvents the old rocker.
Maura is a Minnesota fiddle player who also arranged these covers for Violin Songs EP (Drops July 24/Independent/17:39) to make the sound fatter, added three additional violins & Ms. Dunst’s singular voice. Meshing classical violins with American bluegrass who would’ve thought this would work? Who would’ve thought dark chocolate & salty potato chips would taste good?
“Work Song” is the only track with doubled-up vocals. It maintains its richness & rural sensibility. The plucking strings of the instrument on “The Eye” add a different degree of coolness to this tune. Recorded & mixed by Steve Kaul in Minneapolis, MN, this introduction hopefully could be a hint of things to come. There’s a minimum of instrumentation, & yet nothing sounds thin or treated electronically. There’s a warm wood feel to the musicianship.
The final distinguished piece is the classic R.E.M. song “Everybody Hurts.” Expressed with musical presence. Ms. Dunst renders this with poignancy & emotional lift. The violins push it like a breeze through the high branches of thick trees. Maura manages to inject some soulfulness, which surprised me since I felt her voice was primarily folky & poised well for basic ballads. Yet, she swabs the lyric gently with a near-spiritual prevalence. Hitting high notes with ease & maintaining the song’s touching character. A brief, impressive set.
Color image courtesy of Maura’s website. CD @ https://www.mauradunst.com/home