Laura Jean
Our Swan Song
11 Track, LP (2006, Unstable Ape Records)
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Our Swan Song initially implies singer-songwriter platitudes, but ultimately provides unexpected transgressions. The songs are rarely content to simply dwell on reflective concern ¬— the fantastic is filtered through the everyday. On ‘I’m A Rabbit, I’m A Fox'’ the protagonist makes the transition from the imaginary to the prosaic, stripping her intentions bare, whereas too many of Laura Jean’s contemporaries would write in the reverse order. These unexpected emotional jump cuts, which see the pretty folk melody of a track such as ‘I Don’t Know’ tightened with a concise cluster of electric guitar notes, reflect the trust placed in collaborators, be they photographer Karl Scullin or orchestral arranger Wally Gunn, whose work is compact but evocative. Per many debuts, there are moments where comfort is favoured over intent — ‘Paradise Lost’ should soar and sear – but on the whole Laura Jean’s quiet ascent continues.
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