Artists will often write more music than will ever be put to album or in most cases, ever see the light of day. For varying reasons they are left on the wayside, even if they are spectacular compositions, simply because they don’t fit. For the New York based Cello driven trio Rasputina, this is no different. Chief composer and lead singer Melora Creager has put together and produced 14 tracks on their latest release, the compilation album Great American Gingerbread. Because it is a patchwork of various pieces spanning their career, it lacks any certain flow that would offer direction and walks a fine line of slipping into insignificance.

Throughout these abstract 14 tales, Ranging from the more abstract “Mysterious Man-Monkey” to a brilliant remake of The Pretenders’ “I Go To Sleep,” put together by string arrangements intermingled with guitar and abnormal vocals we’re guided through the talent that contributed to over a decade’s worth of albums and experience. While most of the time I felt as though I was experiencing an interpretive dance, simply without the dancers, on occasion something would catch my attention; such as the fun little jam of “Do What I Do,” which feels like Extreme meets the stringed section.

GAG offers a refreshing approach that transcends classical sounds on a very artistic, borderline abstract level, to bridge into the more modern era of music by merely leaning ever so slightly into the rock and keeping their feet planted firmly in classical compositions. Although this is an assortment of several different tracks, both in style and in pace, it has piqued my interested and helped me find a new respect for the Modern-Classical Dark Cello Rock.