Polaroid Lovers. Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz can be found on this blog for near a decade now. It should not come as a surprise that Polaroid Lovers gets a post on this blog. She has become a favourite singer-songwriter through the years.

On Polaroid Lovers Sarah Jarosz shoots out of the starting block. In 'Jealous Moon' she's rocking out, electrically and acoustically. It's easy for her to incorporate her traditional instruments into the rock mix of the song. Of course, the song has a country flavour overall, but rocks none the same. The wavy ending comes as a surprise. It's almost psychedelic. Think the hippy Neil, in 80s sitcom 'The Young Ones', that kind of slowness. It is a beautiful ending to 'Jealous Moon' and a link to what comes after.

Let me put my complaint to Sarah Jarosz' new album first. Polaroid Lovers has received a very shiny and glossy makeover. The album musically almost shines more than my ears can handle. In other words, the sound is a bit too clean. Although I can imagine many Americans like their country music that way, but a little less ought to be palatable to them as well. Ms. Jarosz has moved to Nashville, so maybe that explains some of it.

This observation does not take anything away from the quality of most songs on Sarah Jarosz' new album. She moves away from her traditional instruments more, instruments that were her trademark sound. Resulting in a more common sound. Listening backwards, this is a line of work she was slowly but surely moving along to. Viewed from this understanding, Polaroid Lovers is a logical outcome.

There's more than enough to enjoy. Take the darker song 'Take The High Road'. Although the song has the pace and general vibe to please, it has a darkness over it. "It won't be the easy way", she sings, and it shows. Don't forget to listen to the individual instruments though and notice how the suave sounding bass stands out, how the drums join in later, providing that extra and at that point unexpected pace. The, modest, solo turns the mood down a bit further. Again at the end the song brings in traditional instruments in a more noticeable way. Especially the acoustic guitar stands out here.

Most songs have a fine musical accompaniment. Polaroid Lovers, after the rocking start, holds so much delicacy, which is one of its attractions. Listen more closely and you will notice a host of subtle sounds over or underneath the main focus areas in the song. The clear production makes sure we can all hear them as long as we try.

On her latest album Sarah Jarosz ranges her songs from stylised country pop to a jazzy country ballad and to strong pop ballads. The songs all work and sound extremely pleasant. She knows how to make a song work but more importantly how to make them stand out. So, complaint or not, overall Polaroid Lovers is an album that goes down well with me. This will be played quite often in the coming days and weeks.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Polaroid Lovers here:

https://sarahjarosz.bandcamp.com/album/polaroid-lovers