Post by rtbuck on Sept 1, 2009 12:46:08 GMT -5
Juliette Lewis ‘Terra Inconita’
Label: The End Records
Review by Bucky for R n R Universe
One of my favorite “Rock n Roll” moments in a movie took place in the 1994 movie ‘Natural Born Killers’ when Juliette Lewis was dancing around a diner to “The Way I Walk” by Robert Gordon & then Flipping out to “Sh*t List” by L7. I immediately thought of an Ian Hunter tune called “That Girl is Rock & Roll” & I found out almost 10 years with the release of ‘Like a Bolt of Lightning’ that Juliette Lewis really was rock & roll. Through her 3 releases with the Licks I never once looked at her as the movie actress. Juliette showed us that rock & roll was pumping through her veins as she performed with the energy & raw power of Iggy Pop & Patti Smith.
Juliette is back in 2009 with her new album ‘Terra Incognita’ & without the Licks this time. Although there are plenty of “licks” on the album it is Juliette’s vocal performance that overpowers the entire album especially on the dirty bluesy “Hard Lovin’ Woman” as it features some dirty distorted blues guitar backing Lewis’ raspy vocals as she sings as if the demon gods summoned the soul of Janis Joplin to enter her body. The opening tune (after the 1 minute intro) is “Noche Sin Fin” & it sets the pace for the rest of the album which wraps Juliette’s vocals around a heavy rhythm. The title track “Terra Incognita” sounds like a typical Licks style song once it kicks in after 34 seconds with a great hook that lures the listener in for the rest of the tune. “Fantasy Bar” is the first single off of the album & has a cool almost hypnotic “Paint it Black” rhythm running through it but pop enough to keep up with the times. “All is God” is a really strong track that has a lot of emotion. I really like “Uh Huh” as it has a happy kind of poppy feel to it that just puts you in a good mood. Other songs such as “Romeo” & “Female Persecution” have a Cat Power style to them. “Junkyard Heart” is an all around good song with a great “Wah Wah” guitar solo while the acoustic “Suicide Dive Bombers” is a well written song that feels a bit like a Chrissie Hynde tune. The final track “The Devil Knows” is a cool sounding rocker which opens with a line “I Got my venom to keep me warm…” & with Juliette’s vocal performance on “Hard Lovin’ Woman” I’m sure she was spewing venom.
Overall the album is good & although it doesn’t have the garage band sound as her previous releases it does show a different side of Juliette Lewis.
Label: The End Records
Review by Bucky for R n R Universe
One of my favorite “Rock n Roll” moments in a movie took place in the 1994 movie ‘Natural Born Killers’ when Juliette Lewis was dancing around a diner to “The Way I Walk” by Robert Gordon & then Flipping out to “Sh*t List” by L7. I immediately thought of an Ian Hunter tune called “That Girl is Rock & Roll” & I found out almost 10 years with the release of ‘Like a Bolt of Lightning’ that Juliette Lewis really was rock & roll. Through her 3 releases with the Licks I never once looked at her as the movie actress. Juliette showed us that rock & roll was pumping through her veins as she performed with the energy & raw power of Iggy Pop & Patti Smith.
Juliette is back in 2009 with her new album ‘Terra Incognita’ & without the Licks this time. Although there are plenty of “licks” on the album it is Juliette’s vocal performance that overpowers the entire album especially on the dirty bluesy “Hard Lovin’ Woman” as it features some dirty distorted blues guitar backing Lewis’ raspy vocals as she sings as if the demon gods summoned the soul of Janis Joplin to enter her body. The opening tune (after the 1 minute intro) is “Noche Sin Fin” & it sets the pace for the rest of the album which wraps Juliette’s vocals around a heavy rhythm. The title track “Terra Incognita” sounds like a typical Licks style song once it kicks in after 34 seconds with a great hook that lures the listener in for the rest of the tune. “Fantasy Bar” is the first single off of the album & has a cool almost hypnotic “Paint it Black” rhythm running through it but pop enough to keep up with the times. “All is God” is a really strong track that has a lot of emotion. I really like “Uh Huh” as it has a happy kind of poppy feel to it that just puts you in a good mood. Other songs such as “Romeo” & “Female Persecution” have a Cat Power style to them. “Junkyard Heart” is an all around good song with a great “Wah Wah” guitar solo while the acoustic “Suicide Dive Bombers” is a well written song that feels a bit like a Chrissie Hynde tune. The final track “The Devil Knows” is a cool sounding rocker which opens with a line “I Got my venom to keep me warm…” & with Juliette’s vocal performance on “Hard Lovin’ Woman” I’m sure she was spewing venom.
Overall the album is good & although it doesn’t have the garage band sound as her previous releases it does show a different side of Juliette Lewis.