Jennifer Crighton was first inspired to learn the harp after a Loreena McKennitt concert when she was young. A costume designer for film by day, it’s unsurprising that she would come to experiment well beyond gauzy, dreamlike traditional melodies. As Hermitess, there’s sonic exploration, layered orchestral textures, harmonic voices, hurdy gurdy and pedal-infused electric guitar. She’ll sing a Walt Whitman-inspired ballad, then a psychedelic folk dirge, then a song or two borrowed from one of Shakespeare’s winged spirits. Crighton has assembled a quartet for live Hermitess performances and acknowledges an expanded community of “sometimes” musical collaborators. She describes Hermitess as the “project of an aging and slightly reclusive witch, dreaming simultaneously in music and images.” With music this intricate, this engrossing and visual, you’ll be grateful Crighton still brings her harp and curiosity out to play. - Jason Markusoff