Earth Pressed Flat

10,000 Maniacs without Natalie Merchant just doesn't seem viable. Yet the band has been rebuilt with violist-violinist Mary Ramsey signing on as a replacement. Meanwhile, they've continued to mine the delicate folk-rock they brought back to the public eye in the 1980s. Covers of Mimi Farina's "In the Quiet Morning" and Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" are given the majestic treatment, while Ramsey's clear, clean diction gives even the poppier likes of "On and On" and "Beyond the Blue" an adult-contemporary feel. "Smallest Step" builds on a swell of Hammond organ and solid rhythms while incorporating Ramsey's strings and multilayered harmonies. Their audience may have changed following Merchant's departure, but 10,000 Maniacs are still be doing what they do best. --Rob O'Connor