By Nate Dow - THE EDGE, Boston HERALD
Old Stag (Hi-N-Dry): A-
The former Orchestra Luna frontman shows an uncanny
ability for turning anguished poetry and sparse
piano strokes into compelling music. Recorded
in his Jamaica Plain living room and named for
the Egleston Square bar, Berlin produces a theatric,
gritty and emotional opera for the marginalized.
With ambient street noise and the hushed sighs
of a string quartet, his brand of art-rock cabaret
recalls Lou Reed channeling Kurt Weill - and it’s
just as spooky. Download: Your Light Is On. (Appearing
tonight at Prospect Hall, Cambridge.)
