REVIEW: Jann Arden, Living Under June (A&M U.K.)
- Tim Kennedy
It is a peculiar feature of the North American subcontinent that they seem to produce lots of female singer songwriters with their handwritten CD sleeves. Is it all Joni Mitchell's fault? The UK just doesn't generate them, despite its high turnout rate of pop stars 'per head of population'.
Jann Arden Richards has got a wonderful voice. It is a real pleasure to listen to such a superbly tuned set of tonsils. Her music quite often strays into the easy-listening department of the musical store of life, but in these days when wide sections of the hip and cool are re-evaluating the likes of the Carpenters what the hell is wrong with that?
She is 32, and has been through 'the school of hard knocks', working her way round her native Canada (even fishing for a living) until finally landing the big one with this platinum CD last year.
She knows how to knock off a cheerful tune too. With a voice of this fine timber and often heart-rendering quality, it would be easy to go for tragic little minor key numbers and try for the drippy bedsit marke; she could even make a fine country singer if she wanted to.
Some of the CD reminds one of Maria McKee, Arden having a powerful voice and having a rather 'earthy' aspect to her delivery. Her material isn't far removed from M. McKee's especially on the opener "Could I Be Your Girl" which even has a slightly dance beat and an almost spiritual feel.
Lyrically Jann deals in the cut and thrust of real-life relationships. There are lots of biblical references and most songs are written in the first person. She is adept at expressing emotions without being self-indulgent and there are some nice vocal touches, for example on "Demolition Love", a quiet number rendered powerful by some inspired singing.
If one wanted to be cruel one might tag her 'a new Stevie Nicks'; the track "Looking For It" almost falls into this category. There is some nice guitar playing on this song. "Insensitive" and "Gasoline" continue in this varied though familiar vein.
She is old enough to have grown up with later Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and that ilk. I'd like to think she endows this oft-abused musical tendency with a little sensitivity and a lot of heart.
Okay-the lady was never a combatant during the punk wars, but her emotional life has seen plenty of conflict, and showing through as it does, this prevents Living Under June from being a bland listening experience. To comment specifically on the lyrics seems a little caddish, when Jann has already bared her all. They are quite interesting and moving in parts.
The guitarist utilizes all the flourishes of 70s guitar balladry with aplomb and embellishes the voice nicely. The rest of the accompanying instruments merge professionally into the background.
On "Unloved", an acoustic ballad, she is joined by Jackson Browne who apparently popped his head round the door a few times during the recording of the CD.
As for all girls, Mum is special and Jann's gets her picture on the CD as well as her own song "Good Mother". Indeed it is quite a moving track and another great vocal performance. Mom Arden is lucky; Siouxsie Sioux once did a terrible hatchet job on her old Ma on an album. Parents of musical offspring take heed...
The only track I take issue with here is the jazz weepie "It Looks Like Rain". She sounds like Streisand on this. I don't look upon this sort of thing as being anything to do with pop music, rock music or whatever - call me prejudiced if you will. It should stay in the section of the record store marked 'For Terminal Grownups Only'.
The other standout track is "I Would Die For You" which ooh, almost rocks, well she sounds like she means it anyway. The guitar gets a little bit raunchy though the song is no pacier than say Springsteen's "Point Blank".
Perhaps this isn't the CD to slip on while getting ready to go out for a night out with the boys, or girls. If you put it on for when friends came round there'd be a few awkward silences. It's "nice quiet evening in" music, and there's no harm in that. Jann can inspire and give insights, and this is a good CD. I would like to hear her voice doing more folky material next, with maybe the kind of strings/acoustic arrangements that for example Nick Drake once used. The AOR ballad style of much of the material here has been done too much by other people -if not with quite so much feeling.
