MANY WORLDS ARE BORN TONIGHT

Four years on from what felt to me like a more commercial album (though it didn't break her on any large scale) Rhodes was back with a more interesting album and a new record label. This album was better than her last and perhaps as good as "Warpaint." Her debut for Samson seemed to be pulling in new fans and expanding her unique sound into territory combining art pop with electronica and, some would charge, new age. The latter was not a terribly fair categorization because "Many Worlds" is far from the rather bland and predictable fare often slapped with the new age label. As far as cutting edge electronic pop artistry, while not as riveting as the amazing "From the Choirgirl Hotel" or the icy "Vespertine," Rhodes was now in the same league with some of the more formidable female artists of the day. It's sad that she again did not get the recognition she deserved and unfortunately her new affiliation with Samson ended quickly. It would be many years before there was another studio album.

"Many Worlds are Born Tonight" is a lush and colorful recording full of Rhodes' trademark multi-octave vocal layering. Her main vocals lines and perfectly executed harmonies are an experience few other rock singers can touch. Musically the album is fairly subtle with reserved electronics pulsing in the background, ambient sound effects, and beautiful bass and guitar embellishments. There is a cold spaciness that plays well into some of the lyrical themes of songs like "100 Years" and "Ra is a Busy God", which have a sci-fi feel. "The Chariot" is a gorgeous track with hand percussion, brooding synths over bass lines, and Happy takes a beautiful classical guitar solo. I love the infusion of violin to the spirited "Roy" which takes a basic pop track to another level. There are levels of understated complexity here to draw in serious music lovers, in addition to the good melodies and amazing vocals Rhodes seems to put forth with ease. "Many Worlds" is a solid and well-rounded album that makes a decent entry point for people who have heard of Happy and want to check out her music.