The Classic＜初回生産限定盤＞

包容力溢れる美しい歌声と、ヴァイオリン、ピアノ、ギターまで弾きこなすマルチな才能で高い評価とカリスマ的人気を誇るNYのシンガーソングライター、ジョーン・アズ・ポリス・ウーマンが3年振りの4thアルバム『ザ・クラシック』をリリース！過去3作品を通し、故ジェフ・バックリー、故ルー・リード、ニック・ケイヴ、ルーファス・ウェインライト、アントニー・アンド・ザ・ジョンソンズ、デイヴィッド・シルヴィアンなど数多くの伝説的アーティストをも魅了してきたジョーン。4作目となる本作ではドゥーワップや50s～60sポップのバイブスを取り入れ、彼女にとって過去最高にバラエティーに富んだ大傑作が完成した。また本作のタイトルトラック「ザ・クラシック」には、パール・ジャムのベーシスト、ジェフ・アメンと共にRNDM（ランダム）として活躍する米SSWのジョセフ・アーサーを始め、ヒューマンビートボックスとして米の人気シンガー／コメディアンのレジー・ワッツ豪華メンバーが参加し華を添えている。

Songwriters and musicians have long used emotional turmoil as a source of inspiration, but on The Classic -- which nods to '60s and '70s soul with its sound and title -- Joan Wasser proves that happiness can make for smart, relatable songs too. Even though this is easily her most joyous album, it isn't completely new territory. Joan as Police Woman's previous albums showed that Wasser can set loss, grief, and acceptance to song like few others and also had uplifting moments that broke through like sunbeams. And while plenty of singers -- most notably Amy Winehouse's mod neo-soul and Chan Marshall in her Memphis-flavored era -- have revisited this kind of sound, Wasser puts her own stamp on it. The Classic is full of smoky vocals and slinky melodies that are unmistakably hers; they're just lit up. The results are some of her most accessible music yet, such as the radiant closing track, "Ask Me." At times, the instrumentation borders on cliched instead of classic; after half a century of peppy brass and wah-wah guitars signifying "happy" and "empowered," it's hard to wring anything new out of those sounds. More often than not, Wasser manages to do just that by playing against the expectations of upbeat soul music as much as she plays into them: the title track mixes beatboxing and doo wop vocals as it sings the praises of being innocent enough to fall in love and mature enough to move on from the past, while "Shame" uses its brassy choruses to banish a "dirty space invader." The mix of clarity and sensuality in Wasser's songwriting makes The Classic's message -- that happiness is an active choice rather than a passive state -- all the more dynamic. The album's best songs aren't about being happy, but what it takes to be ready for happiness. On the bold opener, "Witness," Wasser depicts her self-defeating thoughts as "a tape that's played forever"; "Good Together" dispels the nostalgia around an old flame with a massive, cobweb-clearing beat; and "What Would You Do" underscores her impatience with people and situations that don't work. Joan as Police Woman takes almost as many musical risks as emotional ones on The Classic, particularly on lengthy tracks like "Get Direct" and "New Year's Day," but this bravery is usually rewarded, and rewarding. While the album's brightness may take some getting used to, listeners who love her music for how well she expresses feelings that are universal yet hard to articulate will appreciate how vividly The Classic captures joy and what it takes to get it. ~ Heather Phares

〈ポスト・ジョニ・ミッチェル〉とも囁かれ、クール・ビューティーな魅力を振り撒いてきたシンガー・ソングライターの3年ぶりとなる新作です。今回はオープニングからヴィンテージな薫りがプンプン。レジー・ワッツ客演のドゥワップな表題曲やロックステディ調の“Ask Me”など、これまでになく開けた楽曲でリスナーを迎え入れてくれるじゃないですか! 包容力と渋味を持った彼女の歌声が存分に楽しめる一枚。
bounce (C)水上渉