Customer Reviews

Peace & Love

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me put it this way, if you like Juliana Hatfield, you're going to like this CD. Great multi-layered vocals and soulful guitar playing. It's mostly acoustic with hints of electric here and there. It's very introspective, open and honest - which is always Jules at her best. Pick this up for "Friends," "Butterflies" and "Disappearing" and the killer opening chords to the first track - but honestly, all the tracks on this are good. This is another CD that Juliana did her way and her way is always spot on.

This is about as intimate as it gets-- a low key, lo fi, high tech album recorded onto Jules' laptop... Just a chorus of Juliana in her bedroom, Brian Wilson style, with her laptop and her acoustic guitar and about 8 instant classics and a few enjoyable throwaways. Some tracks have Jules backing herself on minimal drum and bass. The title track deserves a full band treatment, and you can hear in the space and silence where the drum fills and bass guitar would drive the latest by Ivy or even Midlake into the ground. The self production is top notch. This may be her "Nebraska."

If you're a Juliana-head, you'll love this. If you don't get Juliana's charm by now, you won't get it with this effort. And Jules, we love you, don't quit!

This work was recorded mostly in Juliana's home studio with a Tascam 8-track Portastudio (DP01-FX) and an ambient AKG mic. The tracks were mastered at Ian Kennedy at New Alliance East in Cambridge, Mass. The result is a superb collection of ingenious pop from a journeyman songwriter and performer, using the sparest of tools in a most comfortable workspace. All the vocal and instrumental parts are hers, as is the beautiful cover art watercolor. Her touch is consistent and confident throughout. There is nothing amateurish about any component of this production.

Juliana has always been intimate and honest to a fault. She asks big questions about relationships, life, love, and faith. She draws you near but never too close, never takes a cheap shot at close range. It's a remarkable balancing act.

The material moves from declarations of faith in spite of heartache, to moving commentary on the life of a popular artist, to a sweet instrumental guitar duet Unsung that recalls the Chester and Lester sessions of Chet Atkins and Les Paul. Juliana identifies friends in general and Evan Dando in particular as a source of sustenance as she navigates the murky waters of artistic life. Juliana's signature lush vocal harmonies and intriguing melodies are in fine, full form, perhaps never so clear and lovely as in this spare production.

The final track is an ode to an anonymous e-harasser. Its sad blues harmonica complements the singer's honest befuddlement with someone how is "too scared to sign your name." "Can't you see I'm nobody too?"

You don't need to be a JH fan to appreciate this work. In fact, this would be a great entry point for someone who is interested in stand-out singer-songwriters of the modern era. She is at the top of her game, which isn't surprising or a coincidence. Juliana has worked hard to be the amazing artist she is today. She has been in top songwriting form for years now.

Peace and Love is a sweet, accessible, honest, and sometimes serious addition to an already super-saturated discography. Take the plunge, check
her out. Anyone looking for an independent, authentic voice will not be disappointed.

I quite like this album and I am a big fan of JH. But I find this is so untypical JH. I really enjoy her voice though and that is never changing.

I'm a huge Juliana Hatfield fan and have most of her recorded library, but this one defies description. I never knew an audio confessional could be this boring and turgid. This recording comes off like a companion piece to her written autobiography, which was self absorbed, juvenile and not all that revelatory.

PEACE AND LOVE almost completely lacks melody and comes off like a stream of consciousness ramble from an upper east side emo coffeehouse for aging rockers. And to top it off the instrumental backing and production is uninspired and very unmemorable. There are few memorable choruses and it sounds at times like a spoken word exercise set to minimalist backing. Juliana needs to get her head back in the game and make SONGS.

This is a depressing dirge. 2 stars is being pretty kind.