Various Artists

Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs Of Mark Mulcahy (Shout! Factory)

By Selena Fragassi
Published: September 28th, 2009 | 12:00am

Normally, a tribute album comes along after a deserving and storied career — an homage to a long-passed legend or a struggling record company’s way to make a few bucks by releasing up-and-comers’ takes on a band’s classic discography. However, none of the above fit the agenda of Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs Of Mark Mulcahy. Instead, this sentimental release is a dedication to Miracle Legion singer Mulcahy’s wife, who passed suddenly in September of 2008. The proceeds of the album give Mulcahy the support to raise his twin three-year-old daughters while continuing his music career.

If that’s not reason enough to buy this album, then surely the all-star roster of contributing talent will solidify its importance. From Thom Yorke to the National, Michael Stipe, Frank Black, Juliana Hatfield, and more, this album is a stunning assembly hall of ‘90s recording valedictorians.

Mulcahy, in his own right, was an important figure in this class as the frontman and main songwriter for the alternative rockers, Miracle Legion, who performed alongside Jeff Buckley and Oasis with critical praise from diversified periodicals. Later, he would find success as the leader of Polaris, best known for its work on the Nickelodeon show The Adventures Of Pete and Pete.

The lyrical testaments and eloquent melodies behind Mulcahy’s work, especially when performed with the beauty of rock’s greatest vocalists, are a perfect match for the tone of the sensitive album. When Yorke sings, “You are so beautiful,” you understand exactly who the song is speaking about — the shadow of a woman who seemed to be Mulcahy’s inspiration. From Yorke’s soft electro version to Dinosaur Jr.’s six-string serenade and Black’s distorted wailing, each song is a unique salute to the tragic end of one life, and the rebirth of a life of work.

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