Jana Hunter - There's No Home (CD)

All Music Guide

Releases on the Gnomonsong label can usually be relied upon to be folky and at least somewhat eccentric. Jana Hunter's second album fits those bills, though it might be more lowkey and informal than outright eccentric in its placid if enigmatic songs. These are sometimes not so much sung as sort of peeputteredhummed, as if she and her cohorts (who take some lead and backup vocals as well) are making some mental notes to themselves, rather than crafting material for public consumption. That kind of approach can have its charm, but some of these tunes sound a little more like vague sketches than ones that have any goals in mind as far as communicating moods and feelings. That's not to say that they don't amble along pleasantly, with some attentive detail to the arrangements despite the relatively swift and uncomplicated recording process (completed within two weeks). In addition to guitars, there are subtle shades of electric piano, violin, lap steel, and synthesizer, and while Hunter's ...the central figure, the voices and instruments sometimes combine in eerily cloudy fashion. But these seem more mood pieces for quirky daydreaming than sharp commentary or statements, taking on a ramshackle folkrock feel at times that can slightly recall the haziest late'60s/early'70s efforts of cult legends like Marc Bolan, Syd Barrett, and Roky Erickson. As homey folky things go, this isn't bad, and it even manages some occasional catchy melody lines. But it's the kind of drifting interior landscape music that seems more meaningful to its makers than its intended audience. - Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide Read more Less