As labors of love go, they don't get much more ambitious than Hadestown (March 9, Righteous Babe), a modern "folk opera" based on an ancient Greek myth composed and performed by Vermont singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell -- along with some notable guests. Written and reworked since debuting in 2006, Hadestown tells the tale of the poet Orpheus and his doomed quest to rescue his wife Eurydice from the underworld with the story set in a timeless small American town ravaged by economic hardship. The roles in the song cycle are played by Mitchell (Eurydice), folk legend Greg Brown (Hades), Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Orpheus) and anti-folk goddess Ani DiFranco (Hades' wife Persephone).

Despite the dramatic weight, however, Hadestown is a surprisingly lithe collection of resplendent contemporary Americana folk songs, aided in no small measure by the exquisite orchestrated arrangements by Mitchell collaborator Michael Chorney. In the end, however, it's the compelling story at the heart of the songs that makes Hadestown such a special work. "I recognized in the Orpheus character something a lot of artists feel: his heartbreaking optimism," observes Mitchell. "In the underworld, the rules are the rules, you don’t get a dead person back— but Orpheus believes if he can just sing/play/write something beautiful enough, maybe he can do the impossible, move the heart of stone, get through to someone. I've felt that feeling…" So have we. Highly recommended.

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Anais Mitchell - "Flowers (Eurydice's Song) (from Hadestown)

Anais Mitchell - "Wedding Song" (with Justin Vernon) (from Hadestown)