We all remember "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", the 1993 song by the Canadian folk band Crash Test Dummies, even if we don't want to. Their brand of quirky, bizarre and melodic ballads didn't sell well in the 90s, and even though they remained prolific (and even more quirky), the Dummies (heh) largely fell off the music radar. And yet it's out of that obscurity and no man's land that they released an utter, absolute gem in 2004's Songs of the Unforgiven.

Despite how good it is, you still won't hear these Songs of the Unforgiven getting much radio airplay. While previous Dummies songs spoke of Superman's loneliness and God shuffling His feet, what we have here completely eschews the tongue-in-cheek and light-hearted approach that the band employed for much of its existence. Songs of the Unforgiven starts with a gentle pipe organ, setting the scene for arriving in church - or, to fit the theme of this album, arriving for a wake.

Every track is a brooding, gloomy tale of iniquity and foreboding. Occasionally, the mood is sweet, wistful and nostalgic ("Sonnet 1 (And When the Sun Goes Down)" feels like an ode to a life well lived, now over); sometimes it is mournful, regretful, almost bitter (like most of the rest of the album). Whatever the sentiment, whether it makes you content or sad, or maybe even both, there's no arguing with the emotion on offer. It is strong and powerful, moving and honest.

What goes a long way is the music from the Crash Test Dummies. While their chops were never in question, Songs of the Unforgiven see them strip their sound to the bone. There are enough musicians and instruments to make up a small orchestra, but it's the sparing, and wise, use of each element that keeps the songs straightforward and away from self-indulgence.

Helping the cause is Brad Robert's unfathomably deep voice, especially on songs like "The Unforgiven Ones" and "Is The Spell Really Broken?". As always, he has Ellen Reid for company, but he's also joined by Suzzy Roche on three of the songs on the album. Listening to Roche and Roberts sing together is what Songs of the Unforgiven is all about - juxtaposing life with death, and celebrating them both as two sides of the same coin. The ambient and loose instrumentation lets Roberts dictate the tone and feel of every song - he gently croons on "Come Down To The Sinkhole" and sings so low on "Everlasting Peace"  that it's practically a growl.

Songs of the Unforgiven is not an album that lends itself to background or easy listening. On the one hand, Roberts' commanding bass-baritone is impossible to brush off; secondly, each song is an examination of regret and reflection, somber ponderings on this mortal coil. As understated as the feel of the music is, it is nonetheless arresting and captivating, thought-provoking and stirring. The best way to think of Songs of the Unforgiven is, as I said, music for a wake - and not just for the deceased.  For all of us. For the unforgiven.

5.0/5.0: Songs of the Unforgiven is probably the most aptly-entitled album I've ever come across.