joan as police woman

At the time that I put Joan as Police Woman’s Real Life as my favorite album of 2006 down in one of the many polls that I participate in (gotta keep ‘em guessing!), I didn’t know that Joan Wasser had been musically and romantically involved with Jeff Buckley. Makes sense, though. As Joan puts it, “beauty is the new punk rock.”

But even if initial listens to Real Life might be met with a resounding “pleasant!” and “soothing!”, there’s lots to chew on. On the fragile opener, Wasser lays down the gauntlet. Her voice is nearly naked, save a simple piano figure and quivering strings, as she sings “I’ve never included a name in a song, but I’m changing my ways for you…Jonathan.” Later on, she rolls her strident voice up against the ethereal Antony on “I Defy.” “Flushed Chest” has got the best cod-reggae beat you’ll hear all year. “Anyone” sounds like a lost smoky soul classic, all brooding horns and slinky vocals. Violins (Wasser’s favored instrument) are all over the place.

This week sees the release of Joan’s record in the States (finally!) and, consequently, its arrival on eMusic. We’ve got a nice piece by Robert Sandall to accompany it, detailing where that funky name came from – and how she went from playing Shostakovich to Buckley. I’d highly recommend checking it out. After you download the whole thing, that is.