The World on My Plates was
Hermine's EP debut, but this 1982 album arrived after a wayward, often fascinating series of explorations in art and performance, from tightrope walking to performance pieces, as well as a number of singles. A mix of four covers and two original songs from multi-instrumentalist collaborator
Ian Kane, the original EP is a skew-whiff piece of arch cabaret --
Hermine's speak-singing approach to "The Thrill Is Gone" seems like it could be a lost
Dietrich performance -- and moody, minimal post-punk styling.
Hermine herself is a middling rather than brilliant singer -- arguably she's able to coast by on her accent -- but she has a good sense of performance for the pieces and rarely seems like she's straining. While the covers are enjoyable, the originals might be the real winners, with "Waiting" showing striking ambition as a well-produced, multi-part effort with everything from church organ keyboards to dramatic strings. As a snapshot of its era, it seems like something that could fit in everywhere from
Richard Jobson's spoken word efforts to
Antena's first tentative efforts, but heard much later it seems like a strange message beaming from a time when everything was up for grabs. ~ Ned Raggett