JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN - Real Life Review

OK: obvious stuff out of the way first. Joan Wasser is a former member of Black Beetle and The Dambuilders and has played violin for Rufus Wainwright and Antony (of “and the Johnsons” fame). And, for better or worse, her debut solo album Real Life renders all of that irrelevant within the space of its first two songs. That’s because, with only the softest of piano progressions as backing, Wasser's voice is immediately thrust to the forefront of “Real Life” (where it stays for most of the album) and sells the song's long-distance love story completely....full text Joan Wasser has an impressive CV, having played in Antony & The Johnsons while more recently she has been an integral part of Rufus Wainright's backing band. As a musician she's also contributed musically to the output of the likes of Scissor Sisters, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, Sparklehorse and even Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan....full text The fact that Joan Wasser is a former member of both Antony and the Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright’s band is recommendation enough, but her first solo venture stands up on its own....full text