Echoes
Artist:  Jenn Grant 
Label:  Six Shooter Records
Time:  13 Tracks / 41 mins
 
This disc had my emotions all over the place and made my journey with it a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I was originally excited about it when I heard that Bruce Cockburn’s sidesman Jonathan Goldsmith was involved (as producer, on keyboards and on guitar); and the rich cover shone vividly as I ripped it from its postal packet.

But first listening impressions were not good. I had it down as a two-star work, because although it promised a lot, no tune stuck, and the ideas seemed halfway to all sorts of places without ever fully getting anywhere. It was a frustrating listen that annoyed me by leading me on, then pushing me away.

Then I gave it a second listen. Eating humble pie, I had to accept that some of Grant’s ideas actually did work; bits were hitting my heart, and I was enjoying some of it. From there on, it was up all the way. I now adore the way that the bottom end has a lot of bass clarinet, giving the sound a warm, fuzzy buzz, while the rich violin topping across several tracks adds a smooth taste, like cream on a trifle. This violin is like one you might sometimes find on a country record, but because the rest feels a little quirky and of today, the sound (thankfully) never feels country.

“Sailing by Starships” shows how she can pick up sounds, but make them her own. It begins simply, with guitar and voice, first adding bass piano with a simple, insistent drum beat. Then in comes the violin, now sounding like Kate Bush on “Cloudbursting.” Just as it builds for a chorus, it cuts down to a pure Sufjan Stevens vocal sound and the Bush feel gets much stronger. All put together, though, it is just Jenn Grant.
 
The handclaps and “oooh-ba-ba-ba-ooohs” in “Parachutes” suggest that Grant has a quiet penchant for retro elements in her songs, and that hint proves dramatically true during “(I’ve Got) the Two of You,” when she self-harmonises in such a way as to make you think that you were listening to the Andrews Sisters or had burst inside the film “Belleville Rendezvous.”
 
Other surprises include the 39 seconds of a Noel Coward song that closes the disc or more importantly, the way that she takes Neil Young’s fine “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” and makes it her own with a dreamy shimmering backing and that signature bass clarinet. I don’t know whether the open, bright and spacey sound is due to Grant or Jonathan Goldsmith (who made such a fine job of Bruce Cockburn’s “Stealing Fire”), but it manages to combine the sounds of now and forever.

This disc doesn’t really have highlights, as it is a beautifully even listening experience throughout, but “Everybody Loves You” is a simple strings-and-piano song that – thanks to its effective hook – really could last longer and get away with it. 

Her vocal performance is strong in all songs, sounding like Kate Nash, Kate Bush, Polly Paulusma and Feist all wrapped up together. Beware of thinking that all female singer-songwriters have to be of a type, because Grant creates her own sonic world, and – despite a rocky start with it – Planet Grant is a place I enjoy going to.
 
Derek Walker