Jana McCall
Slumber
Up
Capturing ennui in a bottle should have been impossible, yet Jana McCall’s latest release from Up Records, Slumber, does just that. The nine tracks are dreamlike sojourns into a somber gray world, almost gothic in a way similar to Rasputina and Mazzy Star. It features an intriguing mix of instruments – the strings, drums, acoustic guitar and some synthesized arrangements tie the music together like a spidery web. Ms McCall is a siren that begs you to listen; her voice is a gothic lullaby – rich but not heavy. It floats over the melancholic tracks like a longing ghost searching for its release.
Steeped in melancholy, each song is like its own gloomy snow globe. “Eyes Aglow” is bludgeoningly wistful and when Ms. McCall croons “come to me” on “Still,” you’ll be tempted to go. “Clary” is actually a somewhat upbeat song, dainty and gossamer like a yellow butterfly on an overcast day. My favorite track, “Birthday,” is brooding and shimmery, laced with sweet sadness.
Despite being 42 minutes long, Slumber feels a little short. Maybe it’s wrong to want to feel so melancholy, but I want more!
Up Records: http://www.uprecords.com
