Alt-rock survivor Kristin Hersh belongs in the same class as Paul Westerberg, J. Mascis, and numerous other from the golden days-except that her work has been consistently good since then. Counting Hersh's sporadic releases
with Throwing Muses, eight solo, records, and her work with rough-and- tumble 50-Foot Wave, she's been a nonstop music machine since the mid-80's. Hersh has always been kind of spooky-even when singing about something commonplace-and the songs of Learn to Sing are no exception. Her voice, now an almost a reptilian rasp, gives the impression that she's whispering confessions. Thumping drums (courtesy of Muse-mate David Narcizo) and grand strings lend the songs a chamber-pop sound, augment-ing the mostly acoustic-driven album, and tremolo guitar and tubular bells break up the otherwise hushed mood. Hersh doesn't spoon-feed meaning in Her occasionally impenetrable lyrics, but phrases like "You look like someone dressed as you" give our imaginations,
plenty to work with.

-Tom Forget