The Return of Red Emma

Husik's last Shimmy Disc effort fit in well with her previous efforts on the label: idiosyncratic, fuzzy, intelligent, and good fun all around. Given that her next effort was her first plunge into ambient/dance music, that makes the rough garage punch and murky R&B beats of much of The Return of Red Emma all the more distinct. Her fans at the time must really have thought of Evening at the Garage as a near-180 degree turnaround. Husik's strong, distinct voice, easily one of the best of the entire '90s and beyond, delivers her sometimes cryptic poetry with low-key sass and fire. She never sounds mimsily precious nor roaring, but sly and smart, just like her music. Her way around instruments — electric guitars firing off sudden thrilling screams and wails offset by psychedelic chimes and trances, and occasional bass and keyboard parts adding to the glaze of sound, further mellowed by Kramer's usual production style — works equally well. Husik's semi-regular tradition of including a cover song continues here, with the subject of choice being an obscure song called "Bustop" by the Atomic Vicars. One of the album highlights is also one of the best protest songs around, "AZT NO," which contains all the righteous rage against bigots and idiocy plaguing AIDS sufferers and gay men of, say, Diamanda Galas, but concentrated into a soft, chiming song with an easy groove. As the opening lines say, "Loving who you are is no crime no way/As if there was enough to go around." Another highlight is "Pyramus and Thisbe," a reworking of the Greek mythological story about lovers separated by a wall that balances direct, affecting lyrics with swirling music. Not to mention "Hemlock"; never has a song about poison sounded so pretty.