Joan As PoliceWoman and Benjamin Lazar Davis - Let It Be You
Joan Wasser has four albums of original material and a list of contributing credits as long as your arm - she often creeps up on you and quietly stalks your consciousness. Let It Be You may turn out to be full of such magic. This is her first outing as a part of a duo, joining Benjamin Lazar Davis after connecting over a shared love of African music and travel.
Broke Me In Two contains her trademark vocal styling, deep dark and moody one minute, swooping and ethereal the next. Benjamin sings on Overloaded and does a fine job, but blunt beats and slick production recalls heavy pop a la Imagined Dragons rather than Brooklyn Avant Garde. The title track is all action clubtastic, while Magic Lamp is sexy and seductive. The album appears to be about passion and regret - some of the lyrics ooze lust whilst the pain and confusion almost feels too real at times.
Other singers regurgitate hit singles out of lost love for whole careers, Joan can tap into these sensations seemingly at will. Switching from tender to bombastic in a flash, is this the sound of Joan's love life for all to see?
7/10
