January 04, 2012

It’s not often that classical pianists have indie-rock followers, but Christopher O’Riley has held the attention of cool kids since releasing a pair of tributes to Radiohead: 2003’s True Love Waits and 2005’s Hold Me to This. Since then, the host of NPR’s From the Top has recorded albums dedicated to Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, and now he’s on the road with cellist Matt Haimovitz, a fellow crossover specialist with whom he created the new Shuffle.Play.Listen. The double-disc set once again invites the guitar crowd into the classical conversation — this time more directly, by opening with takes on traditional composers like Igor Stravinsky and Bohuslav Martinů. But it’s the second half of the album where O’Riley and Haimovitz truly shine, bringing recital style and grace to songs by Arcade Fire, Cocteau Twins, Blonde Redhead, and others.

by Marc Hawthorne

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