REVIEW: Jann Arden, Happy? (A&M)
- Tim Kennedy
Your opinion of Jann Arden's latest album, Happy?, will depend on whether you like her new idiosyncratic vocal style. She has changed since her last release a couple of years ago - this time round she is querulous, sad-sounding and more nasal. The title implies that she is having a less than happy time.
Musically she breaks no new territory, mostly content to coast through late-night MTV easy listening soundtracks. Her voice and lyrics are often miserable yet the backing is laidback and contented which is a little bewildering.
Some washes of Byrdsian guitar occasionally brighten things up on "The Sound Of". The sparser arrangements where Jann uses a bit of piano or supplies minimal acoustic guitar work better. In one instance, a tune of sinister menace ("Weeds") momentarily grabs one's attention, but it is not until the final track, a mildly psychedelic cover of cult sixties smash "To Sir With Love" that Jann relieves the boredom of this unsatisfying collection by providing a performance with real personality.
To suit the style of the music, she could loosen her voice up a bit. Better still, she could utilize something a tad more imaginative to back up the emotion of her words.
