Peter Mulvey - Ten Thousand Mornings (2002)

Singer/songwriters often try to do it all. They write, sing, and play their own guitar. While some manage to do all three things at once without falling flat on their faces, others hit the pavement from time to time. Peter Mulvey avoids this dilemma on Ten Thousand Mornings by choosing to interpret a handful of songs from names like Dylan and Costello, and concentrating on his vocals and acoustic guitar work. It only takes versions of Paul Simon's "Stranded in a Limousine" and Marvin Gaye/James Jr. Nyx's "Inner City Blues" to realize that this is a smart choice. Mulvey's unusual covers and smart interpretations deliver fresh, non-pretentious takes on these tunes. He speeds up and transforms Dylan's "Mama, You Been on My Mind" into high-stepping bluegrass, then slows down and adds a bit of soul to David Rawlings/Gillian Welch's "Caleb Meyer." Mulvey receives vocal support from Erin McKeown on "Comes Love," the most fun piece on the album, and Anita Suhanin on "For No One." Like Luka Bloom's 2001 effort Keeper of the Flame, Ten Thousand Mornings shows that even rock and pop songs can be altered into lovely acoustic music. Who, after all, would've imagined pop classics like "Oliver's Army" and "For No One" as contemporary folk? While Mulvey's fans may miss his songwriting from 2000s The Trouble With Poets, Ten Thousand Mornings offers riches of another kind.