Singles

Joan As Police Woman - Christobel

Dan Round 01/11/2006

Rating: 4/5

Undoubtedly one of the more hyped-up New York bands of the past several months, Joan As Police Woman's new single Christobe, from debut LP Real Life, is unlike any of their previous efforts. Understated and calming, the song hooks the listener in with Joan Wasser's recognisable croon in its elemental gentle, tender tone, in conjunction with polished effects and sequences. The Cure-esque frontal bassline is also a major player in this song, adding to the layers of rhythmic guitars and soundscapes, assisting to craft a dark and sensual ambience. 2 minutes and 10 seconds in, only the fuzzy guitar distortion breaks the atmospheric mould in this, an album standout and worthy single.

If at just over 3 minutes, Christobel seemed rather lengthy for a Joan As Police Woman song, the B-Sides do more than make up for it; Happiness Is A Violator and Endless Supply Of Poison are 1 minutes 52 seconds and 49 seconds respectively. Happiness Is A Violator is a grunge-meets-pleasantries, sultry song in which the snarling lyrics are covered by more tender melodies and pitch perfect vocals provided by Wasser. Endless Supply Of Poison is a crackling punk-stomper of a song with no time for its predecessor's perfect production; raw and aggressive, this time round the snarling lyrics seep through quite blatantly and obviously. In Wasser, Joan As Police Woman have the possible successor to the out-of-action Polly Jean Harvey, and with a sweet yet brutal delivery, this band are well worth investing hope in. Christobel is the song that could secure Joan As Police Woman that next level of notice and adoration.