Jane Carrey Band - Self-Titled CD

Release Date: 15-September-2009

Genre: Indie/Folk/Jazz

Format: CD

Publisher: Carreyon23 Music

Total Time: 49:35

Reviewed: 07-December-2009

Track Listing:

01. Carnival 4:03

02. Sexy Man In A Death Metal Band 4:52

03. Simple Beauty 4:17

04. Wishing And Waiting 3:40

05. Cry Cry Cry 4:00

06. Breathing Without You 3:57

07. Oh Lover 3:16

08. Sticky Situation 3:37

09. Jane Bond 3:37

10. City Lights 3:53

11. Blank Face 3:13

12. Me And Mikey 3:33

13. Use My Heart 3:34

Review:

With a growing fan base, well-played live performances, and a debut release that really shines, the Jane Carrey Band is certainly defining their place within the indie music scene.  All the most important ingredients are in place for the makings of a successful band, not the least of which is extraordinary talent.  In adding to the band's expanding list of industry accolades, the self-titled release by the Jane Carrey Band has been named by SonicJive.com as its 2009 New Release Of The Year.  

The Jane Carrey Band are singer/guitarist Jane Carrey, guitarist Daniel Sahagun, bassist Ian Sloane and drummer Terry Goldberg.  Their recipe of ghosted ballads, forlorn melodies and lovesick lullabies is immersed in ambition, depth and musical sweep. However, these songs are bigger than heartache and for the most part the music resonates in an uplifting, airy intimacy. And, despite the melancholy theme throughout, the band manages to sound playful and utterly charming at times, an unexpected blend of beguiling contradiction.

There are some wonderfully delicious forces at play on this CD  that are revealed through musical substance and outward charisma. As a songwriter and performer, Jane Carrey has an undeniable grasp of melodic form and structure.  Some of the album's most celebrated gems ("Sexy Man In A Death Metal Band", "Jane Bond", Simple Beauty" and "Cry Cry Cry") possess both dominant and sub-dominant harmonies with wonderful interplay between vocals and instrumentation.  The arrangements are splendid and eclectic.  The production is crisp and multifarious. Usage of instruments like the vibraphone, glockenspiel and upright bass help to complete the jazzy feel of this CD.  Subtle intricacies, such as the piano solo in "Blank Face" convey ambiance and dimension.

As a vocalist, Carrey shines on "Sexy Man In A Death Metal Band", displaying a flawless range while reinforcing a come-hither attitude and wanton desire.  At points where the music halts we are left with Carrey's uncovered, smoldering hunger and adulterated invulnerability.The sub-plot here is a more-than-usual rock feel to the song that accentuates its storyline. 

Similarly, "Me And Mikey" is another great song with swaggering rock guitars accentuated by rhythmic percussion and hypnotic bass lines. Thematically desperate and unguarded, "Me And Mikey" is "Sexy Man's" mortal antithesis, an impassioned plea for reconciliation and compassion. 

Through the use of addictive instrumental hooks, mesmerizing harmonies and playful choruses "Cry Cry Cry" showcases an expertise in radio-friendly pop prowess.   Super-charged momentum belies the lyrical content, however, so phrases like "Take me to the depths of Hell" and "Please don't leave, first medicate me" seem more defiant than narcotized.  The backing "ah ah ah ah-ah" vocals in the second verse spotlight the wonderful irony of this composition. "Cry Cry Cry" is the jewel of this disc.

"Simple Beauty" is a lush and layered dissertation that effortlessly combines essences of jazz, folk and pop. The listener becomes musically immersed with the opening notes while nuances like the attenuated use of the glockenspiel and acoustic guitar command listener attention.  Again, the interconnect between dominant and sub-dominant harmony is breathtaking.   On "Simple Beauty", Carrey and band exude a veteran proficiency that surmounts their recording inexperience. 

Other highlights include the covertly mysterious "Jane Bond,"  which is as suave and sophisticated as the character from which the song was derived,  as well as jazz-centered numbers "Breathing Without You" and "Blank Face."  "City Lights" is a scorching, avant-garde jazz and folk amalgamation. Call it a chill-out votive for the retro-Euro set that will play just as well in Los Angeles as it would in Greenwich Village. As a bonus, the song segues flawlessly into the wonderfully eclectic "Blank Face."  

The self-titled debut release by the Jane Carrey Band is an enchanting recording, beset with introspective imagery and so fluid it actually moves.  Some of the lower-key songs may not work for some listeners and I am not sure if leading with "Carnival" sets the correct mood musically (though it works  thematically). That being said, it is rare for a debut CD to have so many appealing songs. For the better part of the disc the band is classically intoxicating and for the most part, irresistible.  Five stars. 

-- Michael Canter, www.jivewired.com