Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter blurs lines between reality, performance and research with ‘Saved!’

LOS ANGELES — The bones that embody an album can take many shapes. Released under the name Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, “Saved!” is a concept album which explores a fictionalized conversion to Pentecostalism. “It’s supposed to sound kind of like found sound, field recordings, that kind of thing.” Although not attempting to portray a genuine conversion or create a piece of historical research, Hayter, who previously recorded under the moniker Lingua Ignota, used the album to meditate on how people tell stories about their perceived realities. As she made it, she found herself thinking about the concept of documentary storytelling and “what is edited out and what we choose to leave in.” “Saved!” is made up of a combination of recognizable Christian hymns, including “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” and “How Can I Keep from Singing,” as well as original and sometimes more subversive tracks like “All of My Friends Are Going to Hell.” That range reflects Hayter’s following, from devout Christians — including a snake handler from West Virginia who extended to her an open invitation — to those vehemently opposed to religion. “The pastor would encourage young people — usually teenagers — they’d say ‘Well, just start talking faster and faster, and before long, your tongue will just fall into it,’” he said.