Jen Wood
Getting Past the Static
WIN Records, PO Box 26811, Los Angeles CA 90026, winrecords@aol.com
Release Date: 1997
Earnest young woman with her acoustic guitar. Personal, contemplative lyrics. Sparse arrangements. Every checkbox on my scorecard is ticked, but for some reason, Jen Wood sounds nothing like that run-of-the mill folk that clogs up suburban coffee houses. Well, maybe she's folk-ish, but this is worlds away from your hippie uncle's Joni Mitchell records.
With barely two decades of life behind her, Wood seems to be the perfect target for the silly debate that plagues other young (and almost always female) artists over who's an "old soul" and who's just an image manufactured by some faceless record exec. But Wood isn't like the jenny-come-lately phenoms; she's been putting out acclaimed releases since she was 15. It's not that Static sounds especially "experienced" -- part of its beauty is the fresh feel. Rather, the record is down-to-earth, honest, and smart enough to steer clear of the typical self-indulgent sentiment that sinks other performers in Wood's position. The effect is an ageless quality that makes discussing anything but the music itself seem pointless. I've got a feeling that somewhere underneath these gorgeous songs, Wood has a punk rock heart, and punk's always been ruled by the kids. Uppity oldsters bent on making condescending cracks about the young crowd need not apply.
"Caught Halo" is a lovely, eerie number that would fit in nicely on an Ida record if that band's Dan Littleton slid into the mix for the final chorus. It doesn't quite sustain full-on intensity for its full 10 minutes, but show me a song that could with just a voice and a guitar! Even better, the final two tracks -- "Stay" and "Ocean" -- actually do deserve every second they're given (and at 7:05 and 10:15 respectively, that's a whole lotta seconds). "Stay" is probably the prettiest thing I've heard all year. "I'm not the one who's gonna find your solutions," Wood breathes. "But I'm a reminder that I think you should stick around."
With all of 19 words, you may wonder what the hell takes Wood so long to get through "Ocean." But listen to the interplay between the sparse guitar lines and Petra Haden's violin and you'll know why Wood keeps her mouth shut on this one. It's a confused slow builder, jerking to a stop every time it seems ready to let go, and ending abruptly with a gurgling tape warp, never having made it as high as you probably thought it should. Which was the point, maybe. Whatever it is, it's gorgeous in a way that makes you happy that you're lonely and sad.
-- Jon Carson
carson@outersound.com
