Album of the week

Ida
Lovers Prayers (Polyvinyl)











There aren't too many vocalists that almost give me chills every time they change key, but Elizabeth Mitchell from Ida is one that has managed to do that. A part of me recognized her voice the first time I heard it. This is all good and well, but the person behind most of Ida's music is her husband, Daniel Littleton. He writes all the songs and sings on a third of them or so. Ida has proved their longevity. Formed in 1992, this is their eighth studio album. Not much changes musically on Lovers Prayers as Ida sticks to their formula of quasi-folk, down to earth, indie rock. But Ida's albums do tend to be distinct from each other in the end. Whereas the excellent Will You Find Me flirted a little with lo-fi sonic textures, a few of the songs on Lovers Prayers bare a more blues-y feeling. In the end, though, it's the warm melodies and Liz's heavenly voice complemented by her husband's that make an Ida album so enjoyable, and Lovers Prayers is no exception.

hear: Lovers Prayers, Worried Mind Blues, First Light, Surely Gone, The Killers 1964, First Take