(a)spera
by Mirah
  • Record Label: K
  • Release Date: Mar 10, 2009
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. JeremyF
    Mar 15, 2009
    10
    Her fourth album starts out with one of the best songs she's ever written, "Generosity," with its subtly complex melody curling up inside your ears. "The World is Falling" has a distant and eerie humming that radiates softly below is cool exterior. It's a wonderful effect. Simpler songs like "Gone are the Days" and "While We Have the Sun" are gentle numbers that, while Her fourth album starts out with one of the best songs she's ever written, "Generosity," with its subtly complex melody curling up inside your ears. "The World is Falling" has a distant and eerie humming that radiates softly below is cool exterior. It's a wonderful effect. Simpler songs like "Gone are the Days" and "While We Have the Sun" are gentle numbers that, while don't match up in scope to others (ie: the immense "Forest"), they are emotionally just as great. "Shells" has excellent instrumentation that is perhaps even more captivating than the vocals of the track, though the melody she sings is enchanting and gracefully stunning. All this is grand, but the real highlight of the album is third track, "Education." Mirah sings about the "education" she obtained from being with someone that she finally realized she wasn't happy being with. The lyrics are brief but ultimately relatable and touching, and her prsitine voice is staggering. (a)spera is a wonder of an album, and probably Mirah's best since Advisory Committee.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. AllMusic
    80
    This kind of sophisticated indie pop and singer/songwriter territory is all her own, and (A)spera holds almost as much wisdom as it does hope.
    Read full review
  2. Dusted Magazine
    80
    Throughout, Mirah picks her soft, knowing way through songs that soothe even as they challenge. Her melodies curl gently up into question marks, as she asks you to make sense of life and love and loss.
    Read full review
  3. Pitchfork
    78
    (a)spera is the sound of a musician accomplishing the challenges she has set herself, both musically and communicatively.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »