ave you ever heard of a health item called "nut milk"? I hadn't either until I began to do research on Mirah. Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, that is. While she is best known for playing guitar and contributing vocals to The Microphones, Mirah also makes and sells "nut milk." She sells it from the The Red Bull Cafe, the eatery that she runs out her apartment to supplement her income. Raised among a post-hippie family (she was born on a kitchen table), Mirah demonstrates her eclectic lifestyle and upbringing through her own solo project.


Upon the release of this record, Mirah should be basking in the glow of her own light as the next darling at K Records. As a whole, she is incomparable to any other artist in her genre. Some say her lyrics are reminiscent of Liz Phair and her sound is lo-fi. But she's much more than that.


Upon hearing 'Cold, Cold Water', I am reminded by the sweeping palate of instruments and orchestral sounds of a Bjork song. But going on to track after track, I find that she offers the listener something very different in every song. 'Recommendation' brings me back to my innocent grade school days of roller-skating around the rink of my local "Skate 'n' Space", spying on my crush of the week. 'Special Death' has a certain haunting feel to it, with Mirah sounding eerily like Cat Power's Chan Marshall, strumming along on her guitar. The song ends with an accordion solo giving it a nostalgic feel akin to a Marlene Dietrich movie. All these songs flow with an easy, laid back style. I can imagine myself rocking on my grandmother's porch while taking in the sunset over the small pond in her backyard while the lyrics flow through my head before I fall asleep.


This was the first time I had ever heard the name Mirah. Her sophomore album is both diverse and intelligent. I am curious to see how her last LP compares to this one. Mirah definitely has a talent that cannot be easily defined. Attempting to associate her with other artists is extremely tricky. Each track can be related to another performer, never really being able to peg it down to one or three. However, one thing is clear- Mirah will definitely have a bright future in the coming years.