Jana Horn. Jana Horn

When reviewing Jana Horn's single from this album, 'Go On, Move Your Body, I wrote "depressing, that is the right word to use here. ... (The arrangement) makes Go On, Move Your Body, shine, perhaps despite itself. A whole album? That may be a bit too much for me". I truly wondered whether I could listen to a whole album, yet, here we are.

Looking in the archives of the blog, I found that Erwin Zijleman has written on Jana Horn's previous albums, 'Optimism' (2022) and 'The Window Is The Dream' (2023). With her self-titled 'Jana Horn', it is my turn.

'Jana Horn' is a modest album in one sense only. Ms. Horn does not need huge arrangements to make an impression. She keeps her songs small and rather soft. At heart, you will hear Jana Horn and her acoustic guitar. She sings with a soft voice, somewhere between singing and parlando. Over and through this basis the other instruments are woven into the mix, that is somewhere between clear and muddy. Everything can be heard quite clearly. Some instruments do just not stand out as clearly as they could have, resulting in the mood the album shares. You will have a hard time searching for a light in 'Jana Horn'. What is the overall feat here, is that the album never moves into despondency. My view as an outsider is that Jana Horn likes to observe, even wallow in darkness but just as easily can step out of it and have fun.

In the year before writing and recording Jana Horn moved to New York City. For some reason I had associated the album with NYC, to now find that she's from Texas by way of Charlottesville, Virginia, where she studied. The album was recorded in Texas though, together with her drummer Adam Jones and bassist Jade Guterman. Adelyn Strei provides all the other instruments that make a sound when breath is blown into them. Together they create such delicate songs that a crash on a cymbal by Jones can cause quite a ripple in the tranquillity of the musical pond. Over the years, I have heard many albums like 'Jana Horn', and I'm sure you will have as well. There's a huge difference though. Most of them do not touch me like this album does.

What is the difference? That is hard to say. It starts with Jana Horn's voice. I simply love to listen to it. Next, I truly appreciate the way the flute and clarinet are woven into the mix. It makes the songs on this album somewhat different and certainly warmer.

Taking 'Jana Horn' all in, when all is said and done, the whole album had the same effect on me like the single had. Fascination won out over the darkness, with ease. in fact, I've found the light after all. 'Jana Horn' shines like a bright star on a pitch-dark night.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order 'Jana Horn' here:

https://janahorn.bandcamp.com/album/jana-horn-2