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Jann Klose

Reverie

Review by Gary Hill

This CD shows off a talented artist whose music is along the lines of jazzy mellow pop rock. There’s not a weak song on show here, but there is a little too much “sameyness” throughout, detracting from the overall quality of the disc. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll probably find yourself getting into any track you put on off of this, but if you play it from end to end you might hit “stop” before it finishes and move to something else.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2009  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Beautiful Dream
Here we get an energized and melodic tune that’s very catchy and suitably “beautiful.” There are a number of intriguing alterations along the rode here and there’s even a prog rock oriented instrumental section.
Hold Me Down
There’s more of a world music texture to this, but tempered with some mellow jazz. This is another catchy number. There’s an intense segment later that gives way to a tasty guitar solo. 
Doing Time
This cut combines that world music texture with something akin to Camper Van Beethoven. I like it a lot. It’s a bit more “left field” than some of the other stuff, but every bit as catchy. 
Mother Said, Father Said
A pretty and gentle ballad this has some nice strings built into the arrangement. 
Clouds
There’s a real groove to this energetic number. It’s a bit Paul Simon, a bit Dave Matthews and more than a little jazz. 
Give in to This Life
A good chunk of this is along the lines of something from Bob Dylan. There’s some more powered up material, but really this is a folk song. 
All These Rivers
Packed with cool, this is a rhythmically driven, stripped down piece that’s quite soulful. There is some minor ramping up before then, but around the one minute mark this is given a jazzy treatment as the intensity is brought up higher. This is actually one of the highlights of the disc and is a real powerhouse – while still maintaining its mellow presence – now that’s a feat. 
Question of the Heart
A gentle piano based ballad approach serves as the first section of this cut. This motif, although worked up quite a bit, holds the number throughout. 
Remember Your Name
Here’s a slow moving and mellow number. This is good and the vocal arrangement is perhaps the real selling point. 
Ithaca
This time it’s mellow jazzy modes that border on progressive rock territory. This is another pretty cut, but we could really use a rocker in here to break this up. It’s all starting to merge into one gigantic wall of mellow rock. This one does differ in that it’s strictly instrumental. 
Watching You Go
Here’s one that rocks out a bit more. It’s a little bit of a change of pace, but sort of an average tune. 
The Beginning
The disc is closed by this slow cut that’s fairly stripped down in arrangement, but that arrangement does grow as it is carried forward. It does turn quite jazzy later.
  
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