Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs Of Mark Mulcahy

Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs Of Mark Mulcahy

Shout Factory

Cameron Gordon (CHARTattack)

10/14/2009 2:00pm

For an artist as obscure as Mark Mulcahy, he sure manages to maintain a roster of famous followers. And on Ciao My Shining Star, some of the biggest names in modern music come out to pay homage and helm this fundraising effort.

Mulcahy's wife died suddenly in 2008 and in an attempt to keep his career an ongoing concern in the face of tragedy, Mulcahy takes the Vic Chestnut/Victoria Williams CD-as-fundraiser approach on Ciao.

The songs are solid and the disc is notable not only for contributions from college rock vets Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield and Frank Black, but also solo efforts from both Michael Stipe and Thom Yorke. The latter especially is liable to send Radiohead fans into spasm as Yorke gets all Kid A on "All For The Best" without ignoring the bottom line.

Two of the more curious contributions come from long forgotten Brit-pop afterthoughts Unbelievable Truth and Pere Ubu-predecessors Rocket From The Tombs, making Ciao My Shining Star a distinctive collection of personalities if nothing else.

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