Juliana Hatfield
Bed
Zoé/Rykodisc
I have to admit an odd relationship with Juliana Hatfield and her various incarnations. I loathed Blake Babies, respected the Juliana Hatfield Three, and grew to love her music with Only Everything. So with that background, I was confronted with Bed. The new material hooked me from the opening riffs. Little has change since Only Everything, save for slightly-less-pessimistic lyrics, but the style is intact and Juliana has grown within it. Bed may not be a groundbreaking work, but it is a solid, entertaining, occasionally perplexing, and often thought-provoking record. Very much like the woman who created it. RykoDisc, Shetland Park, 27 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970; http://www.rykodisc.com
