Performer Notes

The Innocence Mission: Don Peris, Karen Peris (organ); Mike Bitts.
Personnel: Karen Peris (vocals, guitar, piano); Don Peris (guitar, drums, background vocals); Mike Bitts (upright bass, electric bass, bass guitar); Hunter Johnson (drums).
Audio Mixer: Don Peris.
Recording information: Lancaster, PA.
Fronted by Don and Karen Peris, the Sonny & Cher of folk-pop, the Innocence Mission began plying their wispy, gentle trade in the late 1980s, reaching their peak of popularity in the first half of the '90s. They've taken breaks since then, and worked on some extracurricular projects, but they never went away or broke stride. WE WALKED IN SONG attests to the latter, as Karen's fragile, Natalie Merchant-meets-Bjork croon trips lightly through a woody glen of acoustic guitars and warm, organic keyboards. For some, this pastel-pop approach might echo bygone days of Lilith Fair, but the dewy-eyed honesty of WE WALKED IN SONG is just as likely to resonate with those who follow the quirky but sincere neo-folk of Joanna Newsom or Lavender Diamond.

Professional Reviews

Uncut (p.90) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] frames Karen Peris' waif-like vocals among filigree structures of acoustic picking, crystalline electric guitars, string bass, and sporadic interjections of drums or piano..."

CMJ (p.43) - "Anchored by Karen's obtusely personal lyrics and evocative childlike whispers, the intimate melodies actually vary quite noticeably."

Dirty Linen (p.89) - "[T]he gentle melancholic precision of the songs is quietly appealing."

No Depression (p.110) - "[S]pacious....A fitting environment for the delicate touch of Peris' songwriting....The trio builds ever so gingerly around Peris' voice..."

The Word (magazine) (p.100) - "Full to the brim with soft, restrained sounds, WE WALKED IN SONG is a study in measured, restrained simplicity."