Charms & Blues
by Curious (Yellow)
REVIEWS and COMMENTS
Another release from Red Eye Records, which seem to be snapping up its share of Australian bands these days.
Curious (Yellow) is basically singer and songwriter Karin Jansson with a few guests throwing in their bit every now and then.
It is a curious album, ranging from bouncy pop, on tracks such as the excellent Taken By Surprise and Love Itself, to more personal and less engaging tracks such as Charms And Blues. It is typical of Australia's relatively small music industry that Steve Kilbey, whose own album [Jack Frost] has just been released, has produced this album, co-written a couple of tracks and played various instruments.
The influence flows both ways. Jansson not only appears as a backing vocalist on Kilbey's Jack Frost album, she co-wrote the recent Church single Under the Milky Way.
Jansson's album has a definite Kilbey feel to it, but Jansson's strong voice, a prominent rhythm line and orchestral, faintly military arrangements ensure that this is not just another Kilbey project. Jansson has her own voice, and she does not allow it to be swallowed by over-production or complex arrangements.