Badpenny Opera is the latest from The Cherry Bluestorms, an album six years in the making. It’s a folk opera. Yes, you read that right. I don’t think I’ve ever heard one before. The album tells a story, but the songs work fine on their own as well. Crisp folk-y pop that recalls Aimee Mann, the lighter songs of Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Mammas and the Pappas, and, of course, Donovan. Because they do a terrific cover of his hit, “Wear Your Love Like Heaven.” It’s slightly faster than the original, and it has a horn section and swells. Very cool.
Here’s a stream of three songs from the album.