Album: Closer Than Far / Artist: Serena Jost / 12 tracks: 44:50 / Folk Rock / Alternative
Serena
Jost is the consummate poet, and it would be easy to imagine the gifted singer,
cellist, and songwriter in the
role of a fifteenth century troubadour.
Jost adopts an alternative
approach to folk rock melodies that tell
stories which are cut from the everyday fabric of life.
One can debate whether
or not many of her lyrics are dark or blatantly realistic.
Even though Jost is a gifted lyricist and arranger, she has
chosen to open her album Closer Than Far with a cover of California (born
in Arkansas) singer/songwriter and roots icon Iris Dement’s 1992 tune, “Our
Town,” from Dement’s Infamous Angel CD. The song’s earthy account of a
young woman’s first kiss, and grainy recollections spanning a lifetime, setup
songs that appear later on the CD, such as Jost’s original composition, “Awake
In My Dreams.”
Jost (pronounced Yost), who released her CD Closer Than Far, at Joe’s Pub in New York City, on March 3rd, grew up in Lansing, Michigan, but considers herself to be a dual citizen of the world as her parents and older brother are of Swiss heritage. During her childhood and adolescent years, Jost split her time between the United States and Switzerland. Like Swiss watches and chocolate, her songs are crafted to perfection, but unlike Swiss cheese, there are no holes. Her phrasing is emotive, and she does not rely on hooks to keep the listener engaged, but instead crafts interesting stories and marries them to multi-layered arrangements.
“Halfway There,” is just a really cool original composition, in which Jost incorporated Jim Brunberg’s banjo to great effect. When surrounded by Jost’s classical guitar and cello, and Rima Fand’s violin, the banjo is thrust to the forefront as a very pretty instrument, altering our perception of the banjo as being nothing more than a bluegrass or country music accompaniment. The arrangement demonstrates Jost’s creativity and imagination as a songwriter. Even if there was no music, the introspective lyrics stand as an outstanding piece of poetry.
Jost soulfully sings the opening lines of the somewhat Bohemian, “Vertical World,” “No I’m not from Georgia, but you are on my mind / I swear I am from Georgia, ‘cause I like it when you take your time.” She accompanies herself on piano and guitarist Julian Maile’s rises to the occasion with an outstanding performance of his own. As the song progresses, Jost straddles the line between stride piano and cabaret. Unlike Sheryl Crow who found herself contemplating the ugly dude Billy, the potential for a beer buzz, and people tending to their cars at a carwash, in her hit song, “All I Wanna Do,” Jost finds herself in a Krispy-Kreme, as she watches life unfold.
“I Wait,” is lyrically simple, which is a good thing, because it allows us to focus on Jost as a cellist. This song is more instrumental than it is vocal, and it is an opportunity to just sit back and soak up another aspect of this talented woman’s musical repertoire. She is however, at her best as a cellist in the song “Reasons & Lies,” a tune whose dark perception of relationships, conjures up images of Suzanne Vega.
The talented New Yorker (by way of Sydney Australia) Greta Gertler (Edible Restaurant [2007] and The Baby That Brought Bad Weather [2003]), joins with Alice Bierhorst to provide backup vocals on “Almost Nothing.” The selection of Gertler and Bierhorst is poignant as both artists are highly regarded as Avante-garde singer/songwriters, who seem to mirror Jost’s personality. Bierhorst is also an accomplished drummer.
In some ways Serena Jost’s approach to music reminds me of Jane Siberry who now goes by the name of ISSA. Both artists color outside the lines, and include an assortment of musical styles in their music. Jost and ISSA are accomplished storytellers, however not always as classical balladeers, for both artists will often use surrealistic imagery to convey their message.
Employing echoing vocals, Jost’s “Awake In My Dreams,” tells the story of an individual clinging to the remnants of love, and is set to music that is more ethereal. The CD’s title draws its name from the song’s lines, “Give me a moment / I’m closer than far.”
If “Awake In My Dreams,” represents a final, grasping attempt to revive a relationship, then the track that follows it, “Jump,” is the realization that the storyteller has survived the failed relationship and can now stand on her own two feet.
When listening to Closer Than Far it is very tempting to become consumed with exploring Serena Jost’s lyrics, but one must guard against becoming so caught up in the stories, that you lose sight of the excellent musicianship that takes place on this CD. There are a number of incredible performances by all of the musicians who appear on this album, and Brad Albetta, who co-produced this CD with Jost, has given us a balanced and beautifully engineered project.
Reviewed by Joe Montague for Riveting Riffs (www.rivetingriffs.com)
Reviewed April 2008
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