Juliana Hatfield has a new album, Pussycat, due out at the end of the month – on the 28th, to be specific, four days after we’re slated to see her in Philly. Here’s a taste:
I lead with that simply because…well, why not?
But way back in 2004, just about this time of year, I was anxiously awaiting another of her albums – in exile deo, which was due on May 15th. That set earned many plaudits, including – at year’s end – the Old Grey Cat’s much-ballyhooed Album of the Year Award.
After its release, I wrote on the (original) Old Grey Cat website that in exile deo “is a tour de force packed with tasty, guitar-driven melodies and lush, to-die-for vocals – and may well be her best recorded effort yet.” I also observed that “introspective may well be the keyword for Juliana’s recorded oeuvre as a whole. With her wistful, vulnerable vocals and oft-wounded lyrics set aside sarcastic, spiteful rejoinders accented by jangling guitars, listening to a Juliana album can, at times, feel like you’re listening to an audio diary. in exile deo maintains that feel. Many songs ache; others mix sly asides with brash confessions. The acoustic ‘Tomorrow Never Comes,’ written by Dot Alison, quivers with hurt and regret. It’s fragile beauty in a song. Fragile beauty buttressed by strength, I hasten to add.”
Anyway, not long thereafter, I did what I often did in those days: I created a best-of CD for the car that incorporated some of the new tunes. Such endeavors can be maddening endeavors – so much good music, so little room! But I managed to squeeze in quite a bit, including a few of my favorite Blake Babies songs.
Below is the cover art, which I found on one of my external hard drives this morning, as well as a YouTube recreation of the mix itself. (Click play and it should play straight through.) Unfortunately, I had to drop “Yeh Yeh” (from the Fathers & Sons soundtrack) as it’s not available on YouTube. In its stead: “You Are the Camera” from Bed.
