Jane Doe Ensemble

Reviews

Jane Doe Ensemble The Corruption of What Cheer? LP

With two singles (one vinyl, one digital) and an EP of demos behind them, this is JANE DOE ENSEMBLE’s debut LP. Their NYC roots are not to be missed on this minimal, no wave art-punk recording. Organ and synth-led, most songs are slow and reflective, with jabby guitars, floppy drums, and chorused lyrics focused on social and political commentary, like “What is Left is Also What is Right.” These songs are not catchy, you won’t get them stuck in your head, and they’re not foot-stompers, but they will make you think. On “Respect,” I hear some slanted DEVO influence, but my lack of depth in the art-punk world doesn’t give me much else to reference here, which is maybe part of the point. If you’re not already feeling weird and uncomfortable enough, then have a listen.

Jane Doe Ensemble Pink Liquor / Respect 7″

Debut single from New York trio JANE DOE ENSEMBLE, featuring two experimentally-minded noise-pop songs that don’t just go outside the box, but set down stakes somewhere a few ZIP codes away from the box. A-side “Pink Liquor” starts out as a low-key waltz of jangly guitar, unsettling keys, and intersecting vocals (one voice nonchalantly sing-speaking, one voice offering sweeter and more melodic counterpoint), abruptly swerves into a brief, frantically-strummed and falling apart noise frenzy almost exactly halfway through its four-minute run time, and then drifts out on a gentle wave of abstract whirring keyboard. On the flip, “Respect” bobs and weaves with a little more art-punk abandon, guided by percolating keyboard and rattling percussion—think TABLE SUGAR’s loosest and most freewheeling side. There’s apparently an LP in the works, and I’m sure those extra inches will afford them even more room to go way out there.