Jeannine Hebb - Whileaway

Jeannine Hebb - Whileaway
2011, Jeannine Hebb

Jeannine Hebb has one of the best pure voices in Indie Rock. Her stunning debut EP Too Late To Change Me announced the Brooklyn based singer/songwriter to the world four years ago. It wouldn't have been surprising to see Hebb regress a bit on her second recorded effort, but Whileaway finds Hebb leaping forward rather than stepping back. Her penetrating voice, distinctive melodies and emotionally intelligent lyrics make for an unforgettable combination. Comparisons to Fiona Apple, Alexa Ray Joel and Tori Amos may seem appropriate at times through Whileaway, but it becomes eminently clear before long that Jeannine Hebb's sound and style are entirely her own.

Whileaway opens with "Call Him Out", a cute number written early in heartbreak. She wonders why no one intervenes. The effort is intriguing, and has the feel of a pop-opera or new Broadway composition. Hebb creates and enlivens a character here that's entirely believable in her self-pity and self-victimization. The melody is entirely memorable, and Hebb sings with a voice that could grace any stage. "I Believe" is a soulful ballad that shows off the many colors and gorgeous tone of her voice. "Back To Me Again" is written from a position of power, with a former, misbehaving beau trying to his way back into her life. The edgy rock arrangement almost seems to hide a country heart, but Hebb builds a wonderfully intricate chorus that will keep your toes tapping.

"Tell Me No" shows a wonderfully human bit of dysfunction, wrapped up in a theatrical aria that's absolutely unforgettable. The combination of neurotic need and honest vulnerability plays out perfectly against the simple piano-based arrangement. "Heartache" deals with the darkness that follows a relationship, with the resolution that she won't make the same mistake again. Once again, Hebb carries a stage presence into the song, and a diva-like voice that wends its way through the vaguely Mediterranean melody. Edge and beauty come together here, like the brittle, icy rim of a puddle on a frosty morning. "Don't" continues to dance on the emotional ledge, in that dark place between capitulation and recovery. Strength grows in the chorus, where she fights back against the causes of her heartbreak. Hebb's sense of composition here is amazing, using all of the instruments in her palette to build sound in waves that crash over the listener much as the emotions that inspired the song might once have engulfed her.

"These Days" is a melancholy exploration told in the form of a personal ballad. Hebb's (or her character's) personal thoughts born into song alongside a lovely, fluid melody, offer a wonderfully quiet yet powerful moment of pure emotion, and allow listeners a glimpse into Hebb's upper vocal range as well. "Goodbye" takes on a slightly edgier feel, as Hebb begins to separate herself from the source of her heartache. Unlike the songs that came before, there's more of an analytical slant this time around, as Hebb explains her reasons for going. In the process she builds gorgeous song architecture that befits the sprouting of new chutes into a bare emotional spring that must follow every winter.

"Tragedy" is a relationship post-mortem in the medium of bluesy pop. Hebb belts and croons her way through the moment, speaking not out of anger but out of fact. The dynamic arrangement is too complex for pop radio, but is very appealing nonetheless. "Low" alternates a workman-like verse with an airy, one-word chorus. The split is interesting, and the neo-baroque glue that holds the two distinctive pop styles together will keep listeners very much on their toes. Hebb closes with "Make It Right", a dark confessional that throws all of the previous resolution in doubt. What's appeared to be a general migration toward healing is left in the emotional turmoil of one who almost made it through, but is on the verge of getting sucked back in to the relationship that started it all. The personal appeal here is compelling, and Hebb delivers it with a voice and presence that combine all of the personal glamour of a big-time pop star and all of the pastiche of a veteran of the stage.

Whileaway is the sort of album you park in your CD/MP3 player and play again and again. Jeannine Hebb shows that her debut EP was anything but a fluke with a performance that is subtle and complex beyond her years, both musically and lyrically. With a voice that would be welcome on any stage, anywhere and an amazing depth of songwriting ability, it's hard to imagine Jeannine Hebb as being anything less than a star one day. Whileaway is nothing less than a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Jeannine Hebb at www.jeanninehebb.com or www.myspace.com/jeanninehebb. 

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Review: Jeannine Hebb - Too Late To Change Me

Jeannine Hebb - Too Late To Change Me
2007, Jeannine Hebb

Jeannine Hebb is a highly decorated singer/songwriter, graduating with high honors from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and winning practically every award she was eligible for while there. Comparisons that have been made include Fiona Apple, Laura Nyro, Carole King and Norah Jones, but there's really no one to compare Hebb to. Her Pop/Rock sound borrows influences from Jazz, Blues, R&B and Soul and transcends them all into a sound that is just a little bit more than anything you've heard before. Hebb has played with Jazz musicians such as Ben Monder, James Genus, Tim Ries and Clarence Penn, and has graced well-known stages throughout the Northeast US. Jeannine Hebb's debut EP, Too Late To Change Me, is a musical revelation for those tired of the usual tricks of the Pop trade.

Too Late To Change Me opens with Only Ones, a song about the side of ourselves we show only to ourselves or to the ones we love. There's a strong theatrical feel to this song, like it might have just walked off a Broadway stage somewhere. Elements of Jazz and 1970's singer/songwriter pastiche abound in an unusually intelligent and quasi-analytical yet affecting song about the power of love. Things Haven't Been So Bad Lately captures the lost and alone feelings that can overcome someone living in the anonymity of a large city, as well as about the human capacity to adapt to such a harsh environment. Ultimately, the answer is to find others or even one other, but the protagonist is declaring a standoff with loneliness, even if only for the benefit of the listener. All The Way Down is a song about growing up, juxtaposing maturity with falling from a place where our heads are "full of clouds". Once again there is a strong theatrical quality to the song, and Hebb uses blues-style slide guitar to counterpoint the plaintive piano that drives the song.

Too Late To Change Me is more of a straight up Pop/Rock tune, and a declaration of self like one might make in a relationship. The song is unapologetic but sad and self-knowing, and beautifully human in concept and delivery. Just Enough For Me has an almost Bill Withers vibe, mixing the boundaries between Soul, Jazz and Pop. It's a love song from a cynical perspective, with the protagonist layering certainty over fear in a declaration that's as much about loneliness as it is about love. Whatever You Want closes out the set and is easily the most beautiful and simple composition on the EP. Hebb displays vulnerability through certainty, giving in to another's wishes in an ambivalent fashion that speaks words about how unhappy she really is. It's hard to escape the story-like quality with which Hebb writes songs. Whatever You Want sounds like the keynote song for a major character in a musical, but it’s the conviction with which she inhabits these songs as a vocalist that's most impressive. The only comparison I can come up with for this quality is Randy Newman.

Jeanine Hebb's voice is quite possibly one of the most striking in popular music, able to belt with the best of them one moment and break your heart with a soft passage the next. Too Late To Change Me is one of the finest debuts I've had the opportunity to review. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, for certain. Make sure you acquire Too Late To Change Me, and make every effort to see Jeannine Hebb if she plays in your neck of the woods. The time will come when you won't get anywhere near a show without paying Live Nation prices.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Jeannine Hebb at http://www.jeanninehebb.com/ or www.myspace.com/jeanninehebb. You can purchase a copy of Too Late To Change Me at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jeanninehebb.