Baby Dee: Safe Inside the Day

Label: Drag City

What a clever, lovable album this is! Baby Dee is a transgender performance artist whose background ranges from the circus to the church to classical harp (small wonder she wound up on Drag City), and on Safe Inside the Day we see the many sides of her musical persona. Overall the album has a smoky cabaret feel to it (“The Only Bones That Show” is the album’s high point for me), with stories of twisted characters and sinister themes giving a Kurt Weill flair to the music. Dee’s voice is remarkably expressive, capable of great emotional range and conjuring all kinds of interesting creatures both human and non. There are two instrumental pieces with lovely touches of the Baroque (“Christmas Jig for a Three-Legged Cat,” “Flowers on the Tracks”) and lots of wonderful journeys along the way, with no filler. With contributions from a surprising range of expert musicians, from Will Oldham to Andrew W.K. to members of Current 93 and Chavez. Fans of Antony, with whom Baby Dee has toured, will love this. Looking for something completely fresh and different? Look no further. (James)