New York’s Joan Wasser returns with fabulously classy, intelligent, stylishly stripped-back LP, her first set of new songs since 2018’s Damned Devotion, and all centred on love and loss. In the interim she has released 2020 covers album of Prince and other songs, and a live album. Opener The Dream, is built around a loop of Wasser’s sighs, but like second song and standout Full-Time Heist it mainly uses piano, subtle guitar and gentle clicking percussion, as does much of the album, but Wasser’s voice, soaring high, crisp, intimate and clear, needs no more accompaniment. Throughout there’s a meanderingly mature jazz, folk, soul and pop mix at play here. Back Again, with a gentle funk bass undercurrent, instantly grabs attention with its wriggly rhythm and vocal. With Hope In My Breath is a beautiful slow, confident uplifting soul (“to my amazement the answer is yes”). Another standout, Long For Ruin, has perfectly little guitar chops, and a Wasser’s voice again demands presence with with its understated prowess. Started Off Free also soars beautifully, while Oh Joan rises to a falsetto over a syncopated beat, and the title track is a lingering and lovely tail of a tragic road story with the sound of the wind whistling. Delicately thoughtful, minimal and beautiful but with so much to discover within. Out on Play It Again Sam.
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