CocoRosie - Noah's Ark

Two Words--"shit sandwich." Okay, maybe Noah’s Ark isn’t deserving of that, but maybe it’s not all that far off. The return of the Cassidy sisters brings along much from their first album La Maison de Mon Rêve--an eclectic mixture of genres and styles, which all congregate under the umbrella of art-folk. Think maybe the theatrical oddity of the Fiery Furnaces…without any of the fun. I think I could actually like this album if I didn’t hate the singer’s voice so much. “Beautiful Boys” stands out to me because of the soulful guest vocals of Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons, but of course). Otherwise, sister Sierra (who apparently is operatically trained…though you’d never know it) uses this “little girl” voice that simply drives me up the wall. I was hoping this album would maybe just be “difficult.” That if I just listened to enough college radio, suddenly it would all make sense. And there are certainly some moments that I think I’m almost there. Songs like “South 2nd” play with that quiet folksy intensity of finger-picking and simple melodies paired with increasingly tense lyrics and subject matter, all without ever really raising a voice. Some of the musical exploration works--the lo-fi quality, plinking keyboards, beat-boxed rhythms, while some doesn’t--random animal sounds; taking certain vocal “liberties” with pitch and key; obtuse lyrics that can be either confusing or somewhat offensive. Fans of the previous record might love this album. Some people might love the idea of the unicorn orgy on the front cover. I, for one, wonder if that shit sandwich comes with potato salad or chips. [www.cocorosieland.com]