Ignored             Obscured              Restored

Kristin Hersh, a founding member of Throwing Muses with her stepsister Tanya Donnelly (The Breeders, Belly), released her solo album Hips and Makers in 1994.  The album, a raw collection of deeply personal demos, wasn’t initially meant for release — making it similar in spirit to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.  One song on the album, “Sundrops,” has the aura of “As You Said,” the sublime Jack Bruce song he composed for Cream.

The lead track, “Your Ghost,” is stunningly haunting.

Is the “ghost” a lost lover?  A departed friend?  A relative?  Hersh keeps it ambiguous, which only adds to its power.

If I walk down this hallway tonight,
It’s too quiet,
So I pad through the dark
And call you on the phone,
Push your old numbers
And let your house ring
‘Til I wake your ghost.

It feels like Hersh is dialing the number just to hear the voice on her ghost’s answering machine.

I can’t drink this coffee
‘Til I put you in my closet.

She’s paralyzed, unable to go through even the simplest routine — drinking coffee — until she finds a way to tuck the ghost away.

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. was instrumental in shaping the recording of this song.  Conversations between Hersh and Stipe helped her realize what the track needed: his voice.  Stipe agreed to lend his poignant presence to the song.

The sparse arrangement — just guitar, cello, drums, and vocals — perfectly complements the aching sentiment of the lyrics, creating a delicate, ethereal atmosphere that lingers long after the song ends.

Enjoy… until next week.