Lemons, Limes and Orchids in Bloomington, MN

Though graceful vocals and eloquent songwriting have been constants of
Joan As Police Woman
's music since
Real Life
,
Joan Wasser
has never shied away from changing the sounds that surround them. She took one of her biggest leaps on
The Solution Is Restless
, the acclaimed collaboration with
Tony Allen
and
Dave Okumu
that embraced Afrobeat, pop, jazz, funk, and more with nimble ease. On
Lemons, Limes, and Orchids
, she changes gears again.
Wasser
wastes no time surprising her audience with "The Dream," which pairs a simple, almost folky melody with layers of atmospheric electronics that are worlds away from the vintage soul sounds often associated with her music. Even when she touches on more familiar styles, it's never complacent. She discovers new ways to be slinky on "Oh Joan," an electro-jazz meditation that shows off
Meshell Ndegeocello
's flowing bass (the album's all-star band also features guitarist
Chris Bruce
, keyboardist
Daniel Mintseris
, and drummers
Parker Kindred
Otto Hauser
). When she returns to retro R&B, she serves it with a twist: "Full-Time Heist" has to be one of the sultriest takedowns of an egomaniac ever recorded. But rather than lean too hard on recognizable sounds,
connects
' songs with the themes she explores. She devotes much of the album to the grown-up love songs she does so well. The sexy "Back Again" is proof that
's happier songs have just as much substance as the sad ones; "Started Off Free"'s wish to love like it's the first time delivers the aching she does so well; and "With Hope in My Breath" sets her rapturous sensuality afloat on chord changes worthy of
Xanadu
-era
Olivia Newton-John
. The joy in these songs fortifies
against the societal ills she confronts on the rest of the album. On "Long for Ruin," she traces the death wish that seems to lie just under the surface of 21st century culture; on the album's wrenching title track she zooms in on the most personal kinds of pain, taking the empathy in her music to new heights as she fuses the power of a hymn with abstract ambiences. It may not be
's most cohesive album, but
' discrete vignettes might convey life's multitudes better than any of her prior music. Without question, it reaffirms that for
, sincerity and creativity are better together. ~ Heather Phares