Another fine record from 2022 that I missed because I was listening to all of the other fine records that came out during the year. Jana Horn is from Austin, Texas and Optimism is her first album. It was initially recorded in 2018 but only got a broad release last year.
Horn is a fiction writer and teacher who started raking tentative steps in music a few years back that are now bringing her wider notice and acclaim. Optimism is a wonderful record.
It seems to be one of those albums that appears once in a while from a female artist and stands alone in its own space. Sybille Baier, Vashti Bunyan, Karen Dalton, Molly Drake. This one comes a lot later on down the line but these are the artists I would compare Horn to.
The songs are straightforward unembroidered folk. Horn has an ingenue and slightly artfully out of tune vocal manner. Think Mo Tucker. It all works, just beautifully.
Just the kind of thing that Juno and her boyfriend, the ones from Juno, would listen to while gazing into each others eyes. The whole thing is a proper treat. Sometimes you don't actually need to be able to sing. Sometimes it's better if you don't. It makes your art more moving. A star is born.
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