I’ve talked about how powerful the creative process can be for an artist, both on this site and in personal conversations. In my opinion the creative process, no matter what the domain of art, has the potential to bring perspective, solace and much more. There’s no doubt in my mind that creating authentic art has benefits for the artist as well as the people interpreting the art.
Jenni Stark, who happens to come from my own neck of the woods in Chicago, seems to understand what I’m talking about. Stark who recently released Salt Water says: “I didn’t set out to write an album, I didn’t even really set out to write a song. But I found myself writing what I desperately needed to hear.” Her music is a mix of genres like pop, folk and singer/songwriter. There’s a contemporary quality to the production which is felt more on certain songs. The title track “Salt Water” opens up the album and seemed to serve as more of an intro. This track is more otherworldly and ethereal sounding because of some of the heavy effects she puts on her vocals. There’s a sort of dark and serene soundscape behind the vocals. On “Cold” things start to feel more earthbound. It starts with gently picked guitar patterns. The vocals aren’t going through major effects but there’s some nice reverb. It's definitely a serene and tranquil song. That being said it does pick up some energy with percussion and bass, but for the most part stays within that emotional energy. “Constellation” is a little more pop oriented than the previous songs. It’s more upbeat as well with a sort of classic singer/songwriter type of quality. There’s nice use of reverb here as well all over the song which makes it feel nostalgic. I thought this was a highlight. “I Know Better” goes for a more intimate and melancholy feel. The lyrics definitely felt more hopeful than the music. “Underneath” is another intimate song but transitions into a very epic song towards the end. I was not expecting a rock song but “Watch Me” delivers. There’s sort of a badass ’80s quality to this in the spirit of Joan Jett. “Glow” is an emotive and atmospheric track with lots of space for the instrumental parts. “Topo Chico” is almost straight pop while “Moonrise” is much more country oriented and borderline bluegrass. Stark closes with the cinematic “Hurricane” which sounds huge. My only critique is that Stark often jumps to different genres from song to song rather than combining different genres into a signature sound. The direction of the album when listening sequentially felt piecemeal although not always. Some songs like “Watch Me” or “Topo Chico” felt like they could have landed on a different release. On that note I enjoyed all the songs. She nails the things she attempts although the atmospheric, dark and intimate songs were my personal favorites. Overall, I thought this was a great album. There's a ton of emotion pouring through these songs. The emotion she was trying to convey through the creative process certainly was felt on this end and that’s what art is all about. Recommended.
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