release date Mar. 10, 2014
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Tyler Wood & Joan Wasser
label: Play It Again Sam - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Witness" - 2. "Holy City" (4 / 5) - 3. "The Classic" (4 / 5) - 4. "Good Together" (live in Paris) - 5. "Get Direct" - 7. "New Year's Day" - 10. "Ask Me"
4th studio album by Joan As Police Woman follows The Deep Field (Jan. 2011) and is released on Play It Again Sam and produced by Wasser and Tyler Wood, who also contributed as keyboardist on the 2011 album.
Initially, I found it a bit of a difficult task to rate this album. On one hand it's very much in family with the music by St. Vincent in the sense that it's both art pop and singer / songwriter-oriented (without the noise pop influence), but it's also Joan's perhaps boldest chamber pop and soul-oriented album so far, although, not just soul and not really folk-based singer / songwriter. I think, what I'm hinting at is that it has so many stylistic references (even neo-psychedelia and doo-wop elements) that it's really a huge melting pot of styles and genres, which ain't necessarily bad, but it does make the album a bit uneven, yet, also interesting. Especially the bolder soul-shaped tracks are great but then again: I also really enjoy "Good Together", which is more art pop cloned neo-soul. Bottom line: it's really good, refreshing, and quite original, and it's probably quite popular as National Public Radio music.
My initial verdict didn't have me thinking of more than 3 stars but having returned to the album in recent months, I now feel more accustomed to the new style, and I think it clearly betters the predecessor, which I still consider a bit of a low point, and The Classic comes close to the qualities of Wasser's acclaimed debut. For me, this is one of this year's more fascinating releases.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
