I wasn't really a fan of Juliana Hatfield, not with the Blake Babies or solo. I'll admit, I hadn't listened to much, but what I did hear went in one ear and out the other. But then I fell in love with her tributes to Olivia Newton-John and Jeff Lynne. So, at the suggestion of a few readers who were indeed Juliana fans, I listened to a few of her records again. Nothing. In one ear and out the other.
And now there is "Bets," her new surprise record with her contractor Eric Payne. And I am in love again.
Common denominator here- Juliana didn't write the music on any of these three records I love. Maybe that makes her a fantastic interpretor.
"Best" is a quick 29 minutes and there isn't a bad second to be heard, at least not to my ears. Eric Payne wrote all the music and plays all of the instruments, while Hatfield sings and plays a few guitar parts. It's unclear from the Bandcamp page if these are her lyrics.
The songs are chunky and hook-filled. Payne's guitar playing occasionally veers into Verlaine (or Nels Cline) territory and the sound of it all simply slays me.
Unless I am really dense, none of the songs are on YouTube. So you'll have to fend for yourselves.
12 comments:
https://julianahatfieldandericpayne.bandcamp.com/album/bets
I wasn't a fan until the Newton-John covers thing either. Thanks for the heads up on the new stuff.
Her contractor? So he was adding a deck to her home and they decided to record an album? Cool!
One of your best titles ever
I dig the record -- "chunky and hook-filled" indeed! Thanks Sal.
Listening to album on Apple Music now. Juliana first came onto my radar from reading the book Rumours of My Demise by Evan Dando of the Lemonheads. Apparently Evan and Juliana frequently collaborated together.
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I read somewhere that she wrote the lyrics.
A great disc. Angels Everywhere was the track that did it for me on the first listen. Thanks.
Thanks for cluing me in to this! I've been a Juliana fan since "Become What You Are" (one of the best albums of the 90s for me). I even got to interview her back in 1993. Loved the Blake Babies too.
She appeared on my radar screen with her collaboration with Paul Westerberg- The I Don’t Cares, which liked a lot - still do. What I’ve heard of this is right in my wheelhouse. Thanks again, Sal
Yes! The I Don't Cares. Excellent and another example of Juliana with a collaborator.
Big JH fan here (maybe the biggest of your readers?) I think the album is short and sweet, but I like her latest solo album better.
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