Born At The Disco
Kiam, 2021
9/10
The veteran singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jennifer O’Connor switches gears on this 7th album, where she recorded most of the songs on her own and played all the instruments.
Perhaps most notable, however, is a far more experimental approach that blurs her past in indie and alt-rock with electronic and experimental ideas.
“Born At The Disco” starts the listen with a soft buzzing as O’Connor’s pipes glide across the alt-pop opener, and “Who Can You Kiss” follows with a soft and dreamy folk appeal that’s minimal but quite impactful in a psyche-friendly sort of way.
Close to the middle, “Less And Less” offers a jangly strummer that showcases O’Connor’s poetic pipes in a breezy climate that’s guitar focused, while “Carrying You” burns slow with a drum machine and atmospheric keys alongside the eloquent singing. “Pretty Girls” is then a bit more firm with strong attention to mood as some version of alt-rock unfolds amid a cinematic quality.
Moving along, “Your Job Is Gone” presents warbly synth and playful beats as electro-pop enters O’Connor’s inimitable formula, and “Real Chance” exits the listen with a reflective tone, gentle melody and agile warmth.
Certainly more pop oriented than her previous work, it’s still just as heartfelt, introspective and creative as anything she’s done in her esteemed career. Now two decades into making records and closing in on 50 years old, O’Connor clearly hasn’t run out of ideas in her craft, as evidenced this daring and humble record.
Travels well with: Claire Cronin- Bloodless; Ana Egge- Between Us