Liz Janes grew up in Virginia, moving to Olympia, Washington for college where she played in the local improv scene making loud sounds. On her own, she recorded songs on a cheap acoustic guitar and a four-track recorder that were heard by Sufjan Stevens, who decided she should get into a proper recording studio. So with Stevens and Megan Smith of Danielson Famile, Janes hit the studio to record her singular songs. Janes calls herself a “one-trick pony,” but what a trick it is. The spooky vocal gymnastics of “Proposition” play against a guitar that warps itself around notes. “2:00 AM” is, as its title implies, a late night track of solemn weariness. “Honeybee” is gentle and oddly soothing. Janes’ voice is never quite typical. It possesses traces of old-time spirituals and blues. The title track adds a choir of disjointed voices and primitive guitar that’s creepy and refreshing. “Tristeza” is an epic, seven-plus minutes of eerie singing-in-tongues. Janes may be an acquired taste for some, but she’s every bit as intriguing as Cat Power in Janes’ own personal way.
Other Versions
- 13 Songs
More By Liz Janes
- 2010
- 2004
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