Janis Ian - The Light at the End of the Line

  by Zena Grieg

published: 1 / 3 / 2022

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Review

Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian has released her new album. ‘The Light At The End Of The Line’ is the New Jersey singer’s first album for 15 years and at the age of 70 Ian says it will be her last: “I have created a body of work I am proud of…I’m not calling this retiring, it’s more like rewiring!” The collection is dedicated to “the fierce women who inspired me” and is rooted in American folk and the acoustic song writing styles of the 1970s, the harmony pervading the songs reflecting her current contentment with life, married to her long-standing partner Patricia Snyder. Themes range from female genital mutilation and patriarchal oppression in ‘Society’s Child’, through the malaise of America’s 'absurd, dysfunctional' immigration system in ‘Stranger’, identity in ‘Perfect Little Girl’ (for a friend who transitioned) and surviving the pandemic ‘Dancing With The Dark (This Long Night)’. Highlights of this twelve-track collection include: the opener, the minimalist, reflective ‘I’m Still Standing’; the feminist rock number ‘Resist’ with its scathing lyrics about the subjugation of women: “Put her in high heels, so she can’t run/Carve out between her legs so she can’t come/Get her a dress, for easy access” and its solid defiance: “I will not disappear…. Resist, resist, resist, resist”; and the emotive ballad, ‘Nina’, a beautiful tribute to Nina Simone with its eloquent lyrics: ‘When you hit the mark, you stopped my heart”; the jazz homage ‘Summer In New York”; and the final track, the exuberant, idealistic protest song ‘Better Times Will Come’, where Janis Ian is joined by an all-star cast of supporting musicians including Vince Gill on guitar and Sam Bush on mandolin, against a musical pot-pourri of Celtic harp, saxophone, banjo, trombone and bass. An eclectic album, showcasing her delicate, powerful vocals and strong lyrical prowess, ‘The Light At The End Of The Line’, which Ian will be touring in the USA until November, is a fitting conclusion to an illustrious and unique musical career.

Track Listing:-

1 I'm Still Standing
2 Resist
3 Stranger
4 Swannanoa
5 Wherever Good Dreams Go
6 Perfect Little Girl
7 Nina
8 Dancing With the Dark
9 Dark Side of the Sun
10 Summer In New York
11 The Light at the End of the Line
12 Better Times Will Come

Band Links:-

https://www.janisian.com/
https://en-gb.facebook.com/janisianpag
https://twitter.com/therealjanisian
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_Ia

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