Joan as Police Woman - The Deep Field
by Paul Waller
published: 29 / 1 / 2011

Label:
Play It Again Sam
Format: CD
intro
Fragmented, yet often powerful third album from Joan as Police Woman, which proves to be a marked improvement on her disappointing second album, 'To Survive'
'The Deep Field' contains the moment when Joan Wasser, head honcho with Joan As Police Woman gets ridiculously sexy with the listener. Eight tracks in on the soulful 'Chemmie' she tells us that whatever it is that she has in her, that “It’s elemental, a force of nature”. Apart from causing this here reviewer feel the need of a cold shower it’s very much the route I expected her to take after the slightly disappointing 'To Survive' album she put out back in 2008. She just needed to spice things up a touch if she wasn’t just going to disappear like so many potentially great artists do after their second albums these days. Yet whilst 'Chemmie' is an out and out success the 'Cry Me A River' ripped keyboard bass line of 'The Magic' is so disappointingly redundant it could be played on Chris Moyle’s breakfast show and nobody would bat an eyelid. The song tries too hard to fit in and comes off as the weak link because of it. But wait! Do not let that put you off buying this record because album opener 'Nervous' is nothing short of brilliant. For me it’s Wasser’s greatest moment yet. I love the cut of the stabbing guitar that pierces every part of the song. It feels, fresh and exciting and simply opens the album in the most perfect way, announcing she’s back but this will not be what you’d expect. After listening to 'The Deep Field' multiple times it’s difficult to see what Joan As Police Woman’s plan was for the record. It doesn’t seem like a complete whole; rather it comes across as quite fragmented containing some great moments and unfortunately some not so mind blowing ones. Yet it is still an improvement on 'To Survive'. That’s for sure.
Track Listing:-
1 Nervous2 The Magic
3 The Action Man
4 Flash
5 Kiss The Specifics
6 Chemmie
7 Run For Love
8 Human Condition
9 Forever And A Year
10 I Was Everyone
11 It's Possible
12 Human Condition (Solo)
Label Links:-
https://twitter.com/piasrecordingshttps://www.facebook.com/playitweb
http://www.playitagainsam.net/
https://www.youtube.com/user/playitweb
favourite album |
Spitfire (2010) |
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In our 'Re:View' column, in which we look back on albums from the past, Lisa Torem examines singer-songwriter Jessie Galante's second solo album, 'Spitfire', which came out last year |
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