br VIDEO FROM : br Conceived as an album of politically minded songs, To All We Stretch the Open Arm pairs Mirah's expressive vocals with Seattle's Black Cat Orchestra's equally wide-ranging music. Recorded in early 2003, when it looked likely that America was going to go to war with Iraq, the album acts as both a rallying cry to those opposed to war and a balm to those troubled by it. Featuring songs by Kurt Weill, Bob Dylan, Stephen Foster, Leonard Cohen, and Anonymous, among others, the album's tenor is still best conveyed by Mirah's cover of her own "Monument" from Advisory Committee.