New York singer/songwriter Joan Wasser has probably seen it all; from performing and recording with Rufus Wainwright, Antony & The Johnsons, Lou Reed, Scissor Sisters and Nick Cave, as well as once stepping out with a certain Jeff Buckley, she's been at the heart of original and inventive music making for quite some time. Now she has signed to independant label Reveal Records, this is her chance to show us all what she's capable of.
As you would no doubt expect from a woman who once led her youth orchestra as lead violinist whilst sporting a platinum mohawk, she's capable of quite a lot. A talented multi-instrumentalist (violin, guitar, piano, wurlitzer) and gifted songwriter, she takes full advantage of the rich assortment of textures at her fingertips and her eclectic musical background. She makes music that I cannot begin to catagorise; all that I can say is that she writes intelligent, heartfelt and interesting music. And she's no acoustic weepy either, these are hard and powerful songs, the sort of songs that demand to be listened to. She grabs your ears with her dark, sultry voice and then squeezes them until they bleed as she woops and howls with the sort of fire and passion that you wish Nora bloody Jones would exhibit once in while. I would recommend this if you're a fan of Rufus or Antony, or a fan of strong female vocalists, or if you just like good quality music.