The Portland Cello Project is made up of anywhere from eight to 10
Oregon-based, classically trained cellists who get together and put a
cello spin on all kinds of nonclassical music, from Justin Timberlake
to Salt-N-Pepa—basically, what you’d expect from a group that
calls themselves an “indie cello orchestra.” So, it follows that a
record from the group would be fabulous: After all, cello versions of
indie, pop, metal and/or rock songs, and new arrangements of
traditional/classical songs, can’t be boring.
But The Thao and Justin Power Sessions is, sadly enough, a
little boring. On it, the Project’s second CD, they add their cello
touch to a few songs by both titular artists (who are, incidentally,
married) as well as a Pantera song (“Mouth for War”), a tango piece
(“Por Una Cabeza”), a choral work based on a William Blake poem (John
Tavener’s “The Lamb”) and a Norfolk and Western song (“Turkish Wine”).
At times, the result is striking, as with the cello smacks and tumult
on “Mouth for War,” and the high-pitched crying on Power’s “Hungry
Liars.”
But Thao’s songs sound merely like near-Muzak versions with the
vocal track accidentally left on. “Geography” is a little drunker,
“Violet” a little prettier, and “Tallymarks” a little sadder, but the
operative word here is “little.”
Mostly, The Thao and Justin Power Sessions is a great
showcase for Powers’ excellent songs, but more dramatic interpretations
or new collaborations would have elevated this from a nice record into
something much more interesting.
This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2009.
