Juliana Hatfield In Exile Deo
Released: May 18, 2004 Origination Year: 2004 Time: 77.09 Tracks: 13 Produced by: Juliana Hatfield & David Leonard Style: Studio Format: CD Enhancement: None Website: www.julianahatfield.com

One of the few indie names that's still around from the late 80s - 90s "college-radio"/alternative-rock period is the insistent, if not intrepid, Juliana Hatfield (casualties of the period are numerous, including Throwing Muses, Tonya Donelly, The Lemonheads, The Breeders...).  Always more a rocker-chick than riot-grrrl, she wrote and sang, in a thin, weak, shakey voice, her own brand of confessional, pseudo jangle-pop that, to this writer's ears, was not terribly melodic or accessible (but relatively better than most of her peers).  Ms. Hatfield has a new release entitled In Exile Deo on shelves since May 18th, and it is the best disc of her long career.

    

 

From 1986-1990, Hatfield's The Blake Babies had a critic/cult following, as did her varied solo career, starting with 1992's Hey Babe, which, as most of her stuff, was pretty good, but mostly in the context of the times (the aforementioned college-radio/alternative/modern-rock/MTV period, to which time has not been kind - perhaps "half-assed-whimpy-rock" best defines the genre).  Only Everything (1995) was supposed to be her breakthrough album (even came in a limited-edition "buffalo fur" jewel case!), but by then her brand of music was losing fans like rats on a sinking ship.  (In fact, the limited-edition package was better than what it contained, which just can't be a good thing for anyone's career.)  

 

In Exile Deo is Hatfield's seventh disc proper, and should grow her cult-following considerably.  While still thin, her vocals have matured, as has her songwriting.  The girl has finally learned how to write a true "hook", and this disc is loaded with 'em, as well as some really fine harmonies.  She finally comes full bloom to the edgier, alternative side of confessional, jangly, guitar-pop.  (She's still full on target for personal pain songs.)  Says Ms. Hatfield:  "It's as if I've reached the point where I feel I deserve to make music and it's a beautiful thing."  We agree.

 

Weighing in at 13 songs and some 52 minutes, there are only three songs here that we could have done without:  "It Should Have Been You'", "Don't Let Me Down", and "My Enemy"; stangely, three of the four closing songs on the disc (filler?).  The best cuts include:  "Tourist", pure harmony-filled jangle-pop with hooks-a-plenty;  "Some Rainy Sunday", solid, melodic pop-rock;  the beautiful "Tomorrow Never Comes", a slight wisp of a heartbreak song, with finger-picked acoustic guitar, violin, and cello;  "Forever", with its Lou Reed-like guitar; and "Dirty Dog", in which Hatfield makes an attempt at the latest Liz Phair-like slut-rock, apparently feeling it necessary to let us know that she's pretty much down for everything else, but sodomy is off-limits (dammit!).  "Singing In The Shower" is a wonderful, soft, slow song in which Hatfield ruminates (she's now 36) and writes about a man who has wasted his salad days..."he wanted to live like a Rolling Stone...he's been nothing all his life...he's been waiting for 40 years...".  Built on beautiful harmonies, piano, and strings, (with alt-rock-avant-chord inserts that she seems unable to resist, but work this time out), there's a killer, very tasty distorto lead guitar break that gives us the chills.  "Sunshine" is actually a HAPPY song ( ! )...basically an updated Katrina and The Waves.

 

With In Exile Deo, Juliana Hatfield has finally hit her home run.  Thank goodness she didn't just give up and quit - we give credit where credit is due:  she's a trooper, she's got the music in her, and she's gonna let it out!  While not every offering here is great, most float between good and very good.  Old fans should absolutely love this one, and new fans will undoubtedly find their way to the flock.  Recommended.

 

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