The music of Johanna Warren is stark and still heartfelt. The tunes on Lessons for Mutants, her new release on Wax Nine/Carpark Records blend an austere sense of production with real emotion. Fans of Angel Olsen, for example, will find things to enjoy here, even if Warren never strays into the country-influenced lane.
"I'd Be Orange" is catchy, but the best tunes on Lessons for Mutants are more severe. "Oaths" favors a yearning angst, while "County Fair" works up a mood that's more ambient, with the vocals buried deeper in the mix. Johanna modulates her approach here, and while more of this could have been like "I'd Be Orange" if you'd asked me, the rest of the tracks convey something weighty being shared.
And while the Welsh singer is adept at delivering a kind of art rock that's minimalist in a sense, she's also skillful with a ballad. "Tooth for a Tooth" is elegant and downright beautiful, with an aching piano-line and vocal performance that makes a listener recall similar numbers from Tori Amos and Norah Jones. Johanna Warren holds back her emotions when necessary, and the sleek austerity that suited other tunes so well here on Lessons for Mutants, gives this number an icy loveliness that still warms the heart somehow. This is a real highlight here, though the whole record is worth seeking out.
Lessons for Mutants by Johanna Warren is out on Wax Nine/Carpark Records this Friday.
[Photo: Philip Randall]