My Brightest Diamond

Bring Me the Workhorse (Asthmatic Kitty)

By Salima Appiah-Kubi
Published: September 4th, 2006 | 11:45pm

Decked out in orange and blue, Shara Worden toured with Sufjan Stevens last year and was dubbed “head cheerleader” of the Illinoisemakers. Bring Me the Workhorse, Worden’s newest release in her musical avatar, My Brightest Diamond, is something to cheer for. Dark and beautiful, Workhorse draws you in with intriguing lyrics, jagged rhythms, and most importantly, Worden’s voice.

The daughter of a church organist and a national accordion champion, Worden’s eclecticism flows through her veins and the album. Workhorse brings to mind Bjork’s Debut in it most powerful moments (“Dragonfly”) and strains of PJ Harvey are present in the album’s most vulnerable moments (“Something of an End”).

The true star of Workhouse, though, is Worden’s voice. Making full use of her operatic training, her voice has an almost unreal purity. She carries trills to dazzling heights and, moments later, scrapes the bottom of her alto range. More than anything else, Worden’s voice shapes the song; like a cabaret singer, she creates a narrative for her ephemeral lyrics.

While the vocal elements are strong, the album’s other elements are more than serviceable but not extraordinary with songs running together near the middle of the album. A contemplative album, Workhorse falls spare even when soaring with slightly shrill strings as on “The Robin’s Jar” or crashing with pounding guitar on “Magic Rabbit.” Prominent bass lines tinge the record with a slight, but unshakable, melancholy. Worden named her musical incarnation My Brightest Diamond, saying music was her best gift to the world. If her futures efforts are anything like Bring Me the Workhorse they deserve to be warmly received.