Now the Day Is Over

This is a nice changeup. The Innocence Mission return with a benefit collection of cover songs that are all centered reverie akin to dreaming. Calling them all lullabies would be stretching a little bit, but the presentations are such that they might as well be. Don and Karen Peris and bassist Mike Bitts craft an absolutely beguiling collection of standards. The readings of "Over the Rainbow," "Wonderful World," and "Moon River" form a gorgeous sequence. The inclusion of an instrumental, Chopin's Prelude in A, is a choice moment as well (played beautifully by Don), and is followed by a haunting, nostalgic version of Michel Legrand's "Once Upon a Summertime." The one original on the set, Karen's "My Love Goes With You," is a lullaby proper and is perhaps the most beautiful and tender song on the outing. That it's followed by "Edelweiss" is only fitting. The title track is, appropriately, the set's closer. Peris' wispy vocal carries the fleeting traces of daylight into the mix, ushering in a time of silence and magic. This could have been merely a curiosity piece, a curious addition to a mysterious catalog by a singular group. Instead, it is nothing less than a wondrous little gem. ~ Thom Jurek