Search - Jess Klein :: Strawberry Lover

Almost rock, almost folk! Too perfect for words.

No Credit Card | Dedham, MA USA | 03/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was driving in the car one day listening to folk radio and they played a song called "Strawberry Lover" and I thought it was really good. I went to try and download it but I couldn't find any of the tracks. I decided to go and buy it and it was worth every penny, especially since it was such a great price. While some of the tracks seem to lag a bit (Soda Water) or are repetitive, (Darkroom, Sink My Teeth In) they are at least listenable and are more than made up for by the other tracks. The catchy "Shonalee", "Shootout at the Candy Shop" and "Office Girl" are definitely tracks you will want to sing along with. The blissful and dreamy "Strawberry Lover" is wonderful, as is the playful "Ribbons", but this album is far better than just its title track. While the piercing vocals on "Orphanage Rage" are tough on the ears, the song is very accurate in how children feel about their parents. Jess Klein saved the best for last in "Bombs are Falling" and "Willing to Change." These two are definitely the folkiest ones on the disc, but the lack of electricity and volume is not a factor due to the quiet and peaceful melodies of both tracks. The ultra-tragic "Willing to Change" is definitely a tearjerker but it has a happy ending, so you don't have to feel so bad. The real tragedy is that this is the end of the album. Perhaps some more material will be forthcoming. It is all so fantastic, I would be more than willing to pay triple what I did for Strawberry Lover if it were even half as good!"

Hooray for intelligent pop

moose_of_many_waters | Palo Alto, CA United States | 03/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD should be getting more attention than it is. The songwriting is excellent, the production is solid with some nice creative touches, and the vocals are on target. Most of these songs are radio friendly. It's music to enjoy both lyrically and musically. There's nothing pretentious here. Just straight ahead music that's wonderful to listen to.



I listen to a lot of CDs, a ridiculous amount, every year. This one stands out as something out of the ordinary. And yet, there is not an ounce of buzz about this CD. Reviews are scarce. It's like this CD doesn't even exist in the world. And that's a shame.



OK, enough ranting. But why this CD isn't doing as well as other singer/songwriter CDs that have burst from the pack (and that lack Klein's level of lyrical talent) - Lamontagne, Yamagata, Lee - is perplexing to me. It may be that Ryko just doesn't know how to do marketing. Josh Rouse and Kelly Willis have also been on this label and have gone nowhere in the US in terms of visibility. Maybe Ryko is a lame label in terms of getting their artists exposure.



If that's the case, well shame on them. But I think that another element is at work. This music has a sophisticated use of language and sensibility that just doesn't happen in mainstream pop. It just may be too smart for general consumption. Artists like Jess Klein have the goods to be stars. But mass appeal may depend on being a little simpler and more predictable (and ultimately boring). So people like Jess Klein and Jill Sobule end up having small loyal fan bases. Hopefully for artists like these, the fan bases are big enough to pay the rent."