Customer Reviews

The Men

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Over the course of her last two solo albums, Anhedoniac (1998) and Disburden Disciple (2001), Jarboe has headed towards more succinct song structures and tighter rhythms. This has culminated in THE MEN ALBUM which contains some of her strongest material yet as well as a judicious and effective use of many guest musicians and singers. My only criticism of the album is that, at nearly 100 minutes, it is far too long and I think a tighter 1 hour album could have been released. Highlights include This Is Life Meridian, To Forget (with Iva Davies of all people), Reason To Live and the gorgeously minimal Penance. Overall, THE MEN is another fascinating chapter in the career of this courageous and compelling artist.

This is a compelling album, even more so on second listen and with good headphones. For me, there are two weakish tracks on Disc 2, but nothing to quibble about. And I did expect something more entrancing from the collab w/ Edward Ka-Spel, but what's here is nice, just sounds a bit phoned in. Expert singing throughout by all concerned, and another journey into the feral sounds to spice things up. The rhythms are very solid. She lets the men in, and for that I thank her. J's outlook continuing to get more "positive" in feel, not a bad thing. I think she still excels in the dark side, but also excels in making records worth buying. Good coherent production on this one as well.