Sandy And Jean
Absolute Label Services, 2025
9/10
Listen to Love Is Love: A Rock Opera
The inimitable artist Rosemary Schonfeld relays the imperative tale of the kind of discrimination and pressures experienced by lesbians due to Section 28 during the 1980s and 90s, and it brings a whole lot of diverse sounds and ideas to the table.
The booming drums and dreamy presence of “Night Before The Wedding” starts with much wonder and warmth before the smooth vocals enter, and “Young Mothers’ Toddlers’ Group” follows with bright brass and group vocals via a theater appeal.
The title track lands in the middle and uses piano strategically alongside intimate singing that’s heartfelt, while “Everyone Hates Lesbians” blends accordion with spoken word about the historical hatred of lesbians.
Closer to the end, “Chorus Of Friends And Jean” finds a dreamy place to reside thanks to the playful percussion and alternating talking and singing, and “Love Is Love” exits with detailed storytelling alongside some playful rock gestures.
Musically, this is all over the place, from rock, rap, balladry and Sprechgesang (sung language), and the instruments vary from ‘80s Casio keyboards to slide guitar. The wordplay surrounds the pair of mothers who fall in love, but are unable to leave their husbands, and it all makes for a very important and unique rock opera.
Travels well with: Øyunn- I Know U Can Do It; Stumbleine- Deleted Scenes