Oh Joan, What Is There To Be Done?

Joan As Police Woman's 12th album*, Lemons, Limes and Orchids, was released on Friday. A single and video, Remember The Voice, dropped at the same time. 

 

The latter, filmed in a beachfront hotel by Sekou Abineri features Joan in a background role, performer Ali Goldsmith propelling themself around the building to the synthpop soundtrack. 

I've only had one listen to the album so far, but it's a varied, rich trip through the 12 songs contained within. Sonically, the early 80s trappings Remember The Voice is something of a red herring as most of the songs are more deeply rooted in the 70s.

Joan Wasser has assembled an impressive band for this album: Chris Bruce (guitar), Daniel Mintseris (keyboards), with Otto Hauser and Parker Kindred (drums). Between them, they've performed with Antony & The Johnsons, Devendra Banhart, Espers, George Clinton, Jeff Buckley, Marianne Faithfull, Seal, St. Vincent, Teddy Thompson, Vashti Bunyan, Vetiver, The Waterboys and Wendy & Lisa. Oh, and that's Meshell Ndegeocello on bass, who is a legend in her own lifetime.

 

  

The music is rich and layered, but serves to underpin Joan's voice, which is on fine form throughout, and exceptional on the six-and-a-half minute title track.

I've included a couple of songs here, both excellent, though not the only standouts on what at first play comes across as a consistently good album.

 

I mentioned in a 2022 post that I had been introduced to Joan As Police Woman by my friend John in 2011, via then-new album The Deep Field. In 2024, I own just one other album, 2009's Cover, plus a smattering of session and live tracks. Lemons, Limes and Orchids has been added to that collection, and I think I now need to start filling in the gaps.

 

* According to Joan's website, though it's frequently referred to as her 10th elsewhere on t'internet so I'm guessing that there may be some collaborative and/or live albums included in the count somewhere.