This Is Our Jam: Mirel Wagner, “No Death”

Singer/songwriter Mirel Wagner comes to us from Finland by way of Ethiopia, an unusual trajectory for any artist, not to mention one whose forlorn folk evokes artists like Will Oldham and Nancy Sinatra. With “No Death,” Wagner employs only spare guitar and breathy vocals as she strums a lament that is equal parts defiant and tragic. When Wagner sings “No death can tear us apart,” the implication, of course, is that the loss is inevitable. It's as haunting a sentiment as it is a melody, and lingers long after the last notes have faded.