The Wishing Chair

The 1985 major-label debut from New York cult-rockers 10,000 Maniacs distils the group’s globally sourced influences (Nigerian jùjú, British power pop, American roots rock) into an exquisite launching point for lead singer Natalie Merchant’s imagistic yet politically charged poetry. Much of the album’s thrill comes from the interplay between Merchant’s deeply felt alto and guitarist Robert Buck’s nimble riffing, which darts around the thoughtful lyrics of “Can’t Ignore the Train” and adds sparkle to the folk-pop epistle “Back o’ the Moon”.