The harp is not an instrument of slyness, wryness, or the earth. At least twice the size of a human body, it has to be held in the arms, its vibrations traveling through the player as they perform. It’s nearly impossible to play it and not feel kind of “woo.” With few clear precedents, Mikaela Davis draws a connection between the instrument’s almost involuntary transcendence and the cosmic mysticism of jam bands like the Grateful Dead (whose music she also performs as a member of the tribute band the Grateful Shred ). Where artists like Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby pushed the instrument inventively into mostly instrumental jazz, Davis redirects it toward a more singer-songwriterly inwardness. I first discovered Davis over a decade ago, when I stumbled on her harp cover of “Twilight” by Elliott Smith on YouTube—she is now signed to Kill Rock Stars, the same label as Smith. In that video, her performance seemed oriented toward showcasing technical ability, overriding the song’s directness with display.…