** 1/2, LISA GERMANO “Excerpts From a Love Circus” 4AD
Though Germano has released four solo albums, she is best--almost exclusively--known as fellow Hoosier John Mellencamp’s feisty fiddle player. Her own records are nothing like those of her ex-boss--aimless, fractured songs held together by Germano’s breathy, little-girl vocals and beyond-weird lyrics. If the name of the album doesn’t clue you in, how about a song title like “Messages From Sophia ‘There’s More Kitties in the World Than Just Miamo-Tutti’ by Lisa and Dorothy”?
When Germano lets you really hear an instrument, as with the melancholy drums on “Victorias Secret ‘Just a Bad Dream by Miamo-Tutti,’ ” her music takes on a lovely air reminiscent of the Velvet Underground.
When the mix is more muddled and all that catches your ear are Germano’s words, well, you can understand why she remains strictly in the cult-artist category.
*
Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).
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