There’s
definitely something wrong
here. When a musician
wants to express themselves
to other people, they
usually sign to a record
label that takes care
of the necessary exposure.
Artists like Jen Gloeckner
however have to set up
their own website to sell
their product and widespread
exposure will be lacking.
Musicians like Jen should
be discovered and cherished
for at least trying; trying
to record quality, identifiable
music that people can
relate to.
The album begins with
the soft title track,
MILES AWAY, more about
a state of mind than
distance and is effective
with the minimal use
of guitar and piano.
Bass, drums and even
a violin are introduced
on HAZY SKY, complete
with Stevie Nicks like
vocals. By the time
SEVEN MAIDS comes floating
across, you realise
why this album has grabbed
a hold of you, the lyrics
are highlighted by the
way Jen sings, you can
actually hear every
word and they have something
to say.
Then there are songs
like the slow atmospheric
NOTHING PERSONAL which
is supposed to be about
Eve but does not quite
make sense with its
Alice In Wonderland
references. It doesn’t
matter how many times
you listen to it, the
song will remain a mystery.
Is this not what great
songs should be? The
same can be said of
ONLY 1, but the feeling
here is that you are
being dragged further
into Jen’s world
and what a strange and
comforting place it
is.
For the most part it
is difficult to label
Jen’s musical
style but you would
not be far wrong if
you simply called it
smooth. The music is
adult with hints of
jazz on a couple of
tracks such as the wine
bar like GLIMPSE and
OTHERSIDE. CLEAR THE
SAND brings an unexpected
Eastern feel, complete
with a fluttering flute.
The dark, moody SWARM
sounds like a contender
for the next David Lynch
movie.
On the surface, Jen
Gloeckner might be just
another female singer-songwriter
but you cannot help
noticing that the number
of such musicians on
the album charts these
days clearly indicate
the interest is there
and hopefully there
is room for Jen. We
just might have reached
the stage where the
dull and dreary Dido
type artists will finally
make way for those like
Jen and that would be
okay in my books.
Jen Gloeckner
is an Iowa based singer
songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
and 'Miles Away' is her
debut release. Thus far
the release and her music
has been described as
'alt-folk', 'alt-jazz
and several other labels
all of which have validity
and a mixture of these
would probably most accurately
describe what is on offer..
Whilst 'singer-songwriter'
is increasingly meaningless
as a label as it tells
you nothing about the
music (or talent) of the
artist concerned, if this
particular artists music
needs to have a description
it could be described
as falling somewhere between
the two aforementioned
categorisations, although
there are certainly some
'world music' influences
at play as well. The 'alt-jazz'
feel of the recording
is perhaps most in evidence
in tracks such as 'Glimpse'
or 'Otherside' with Gloeckners
vocals ranging from intimate
to almost distant where
you can feel the singer
perhaps absorbed in her
own song and music.
The album itself consists
of 15 tracks and is
a respectful 55 minutes
in length, starting
with the title track
'Miles Away', as an
opening track it provides
a sound taster of what
is too follow, Gloeckner
furnishes the track
with a gentle but firm
finger picking style
woven around her vocals
also accompanied by
herself on keyboards,
providing an atmospheric
background to the track,
whilst remaining firmly
in the background. All
the tracks were written
and composed by Gloeckner
herself, the range of
lyrical matters ranging
from the allegorical
such as 'Clear the Sand'
to reflections of relationships
and their strains on
tracks such as 'Glue'
and curiously named
'Swarm'. There are a
number of tracks that
capture the imagination,
but one that particularly
struck me was 'Mountain'
in the way that Gloeckners
Guitar and Mandolin
playing is combined
with a particularly
impressive flute and
the use of congas to
provide a non intrusive
but firm beat, however
the variety offered
on the album cant really
be done justice by naming
one or two tracks.
These days the term
singer-songwriter doesnt
necessarily say very
much about the music
or style of the artist
concerned, however whilst
labels or pigeonholes
will not really suffice
here, it is fair to
say that Gloeckner is
very much her own artist,
certainly 'Miles Away'
is one of the more original
offerings that will
surface this year, expect
to hear more from her
direction.
If there
was a section in the record
store labelled “Music
From the Heart”,
that is where you will
find Jen's "Miles
Away"...
That statement succinctly
describes Jen Gloeckner's
debut album "Miles
Away". The album
comes from a basement
in a small mid-Western
town in the USA. It started
out as a bit of fun, but
has evolved into a fantastic
album.
If Gloeckner doesn't get
signed up by a major and
promoted heavily worldwide,
it will be a crying shame.
Everyone deserves to hear
this album. We at Musicmen.co.uk
have had that pleasure,
and over the last month
we have listened to this
album many a times. We
sincerely believe it is
a classic.
Opening track, "Miles
Away" , is a dreamy
acoustic song that washes
over you like a warms
summer breeze. Jens vocals
have a soothing warm feel
that welcome you in straight
away, and keep you intrigued
to the very end. Theres
a definite Norah Jones
feel to things here, the
well crafted songs, slight
jazz vibe and sublime
vocals. There it is, an
inevitable comparison
with Norah Jones.. but
Jen is less jazz, and
more alt folk i guess.
Which takes us back to
the opening sentence of
this piece. This album
deserves to match, nay
better the success of
Norah Jones's two albums.
The album is mainly acoustic
guitar led featuring Gloeckner's
crisp clear and delightful
voice. In the background,
we get chellos and strings,
light saxophones, drums
and a warm bass.
I would personally like
to thank Jen Gloeckner
for sending us this CD.
In my opinion, it should
be part of everyone's
collection. I am over
the moon that it is now
part of mine.
If you only buy one album
this year, please please
make it this album! You
can buy the album direct
from Jen at her website:
http://www.jengloeckner.com/store.html
-- what are you waiting
for, go buy!
Jen Gloeckner
is another product of
the modern musical world
of cheaper and better
technology. While inexpensive
recording equipment can't
make the artist, it does
give bands opportunities
to be heard that didn't
exist a decade ago. Artists
can easily create their
own discs without the
benefit of a record deal
or without having to purchase
expensive studio time.
So what started as a fun
recording project for
Gloeckner in her Dubuque
home studio ended up as
a full-length, high-quality
CD that sounds nothing
like a basement tape.
Some credit for the release
should go to her gear,
but mostly it's the result
of her imaginative song
writing, production and
performances.
"I just decided to
make an album," says
Gloeckner. "I really
wasn't taking it very
seriously at the time
and it was just going
to be a demo. It had been
about a two-year process
in creating this disc.
But right after I got
done with the mixing I
thought, 'Yeah, I like
this.' At the end when
I heard everything in
unison, it all came together
and I knew that other
people needed to hear
it."
The disc, "Miles
Away," touches on
styles ranging from folk
to jazz to world music,
with each song wrapped
in a hypnotic vibe that
leaves the listener yearning
for a lava lamp and some
incense. Gloeckner's voice
has a loose, earthy, Stevie
Nicks meets Natalie Merchant
quality that is always
at the forefront of the
Spartan, but well-conceived,
arrangements. While some
songs feature just Gloeckner
and her acoustic guitar,
others are flecked cleverly
with exotic sounding cello
and mandolin, a subdued
saxophone, and percussion
that anchors everything
nicely but never dominates.
When this disc does land
in stores, clerks will
be hard pressed to find
a section for it, but
that's just how Gloeckner
wants it.
"I
wasn't really shooting
for anything stylistically,
I guess, but I was aiming
for a certain mood,"
she says. "I didn't
realize that the whole
CD was going to be a mood
CD - and that's basically
what it is - until I actually
sat down and listened
to all the songs. I don't
like to see music branded.
It's funny how people
will say, 'There's a little
pop in there, a little
jazz, a little folk,'
and that's fine. But to
me, it's just music."
The multi-talented multi-instrumentalist
has been playing piano
for seven years, taught
herself guitar 10 years
ago, the mandolin a little
later and is currently
schooling herself on her
new violin. In addition
to writing all the tunes,
Gloeckner also produced
all the tracks.
"I came up with all
the songs and laid down
the foundation - the guitar,
the piano, the vocals,
the mandolin and some
keyboard," she says.
"And then I would
have people come in and
layer stuff on top of
it. And some parts I would
take and put where I wanted
them."
Gloeckner has gotten some
positive responses from
some labels, but, for
now, she and her husband
John have formed their
own record label and publishing
company and are promoting
the disc on their own.
Along with a couple of
radio appearances this
summer, Gloeckner will
be playing live as much
as she can.
"Playing
live is a big thing for
me right now since we
don't have a distributor,"
she says. "So to
get my CD, people have
to come to a show or buy
it on the Internet. So
it's very important for
me to get out there. Obviously
a label would help with
marketing and promoting.
We have some opportunities
that we're still kind
of thinking about. But
for now, we're going to
go independent and do
this ourselves. It seems
to be working pretty well."
Gloeckner's
style is a little bit
rock, a little bit folk,
a little bit R&B and
a whole lot of talent.
The first (and title)
track sounds like a Sinead
O'Connor ballad. Toward
the middle tracks, Gloeckner
morphs into Kim Carnes
and Stevie Nicks. Then
in a delicious twist she
reveals a touch of Badu-ism.
Her voice is like molasses;
old school, rich and spicy
sweet. One of many outstanding
tracks includes Nothing
Personal, a sultry and
haunting song about temptation
that opens with simple
keyboard notes from a
forgotten lullaby. Miles
Away is an exotic and
artful debut for this
Midwestern diva.
Even
if Jen Gloeckner doesn't
get picked up by a major
label and whisked from
theatre to stadium to
television special, she's
got a secure future as
a music producer. You
know, those people who
hear the silhouette of
a song on a demo tape
and make the decisions
to work with a certain
studio or engineer and
bring in a cello in this
bridge and a mandolin
in that coda, etc. If
nothing else, this is
a surprisingly well-produced
debut.
But lo, there's more.
There's those inescapable
melodies. There's that
warm voice, a little high,
a little deep sometimes.
A little Stevie Nicks
in songs like "Hazy
Sky". A little more
like Victoria Williams
in "Remember When".
The lyrics are personal
but manage to avoid cliches.
The overall sound is acoustic
folk, but with piano and
reverb and drums and some
keyboards here and there.
A few songs have a danceable
rhythm, like "Spinning
Heads" and an Ani
DiFranco-like percussive
vocal. It's a harmonious
mix. "Clear the Sand"
has a great global combination
of congas and a Flamenco-like
guitar. With the overlapping
vocals and the skitting
flute it goes from being
a song to being more of
a soundscape (and because
of that it should have
been longer and given
more time to groove).
"Mountains"
starts with a near-two-minute
instrumental swing that
also could have been allowed
more time to breathe,
but such a small complaint
that is. The vocals, when
they land, are appropriately
sombre and washy and inexplicable.
Like, just how predictable
is "he's moving mountains
over me"? It's the
sort of statement that
sneers at explanation.
It's not the sort of music
I listen to regularly,
so maybe it's not such
a strange accomplishment.
Maybe all the singer-songwriters
in Dubuque, Iowa are this
entertaining. Somehow
I doubt it.
Female folk-pop
music with a heart-on-the-sleeve
approach, the fragile,
acoustic-based songs of
Jen Gloeckner that comprise
Miles Away are tender
and triumphant, laid-back,
groove-induced folk jaunts
through memories both
good and bad. The slow-moving
tunes trickle down on
the listener like raindrops
after a hard rain. The
songs bring to mind the
early mornings, waking
up, and feeling as if
today is the day, with
last night's memories
still haunting you. From
all-out folk to more emotional
pop, the record runs the
gamut and offers something
for folk and pop fans
alike.
It's easy
to try and place Jen Gloeckner
in the same vein as Norah
Jones and Katie Melua,
and indeed that description
does give an indication
of what Jen Gloeckner
sounds like, but it's
more truthful to say that
she simply deals in well
written, highly emotional
and passionate songs.
Her debut album "Miles
Away" is the sort
of album you'd expect
from a veteran such as
Tracy Chapman and while
it sounds polished there's
certainly a soulful edge
where other female singer
songwriters can often
fail. The breakthrough
of Jen Gloeckner in the
UK may take time, but
rest assured it will happen.
Not
a lot of information was
available to me about
this particular artist
when I first received
the CD 'Miles away' from
Iowa native singer/songwriter
Jen Gloeckner. So, like
many artists I was unfamiliar
with, I went into the
process of listen and
review with a completely
open mind, and was taken
on a musical journey unlike
any other. Gloeckner has
been compared to just
about every female American
singer/songwriter alive
today. Tori Amos, Joni
Mitchell and Stevie Nicks
to name just a few. As
you may know I dislike
the word 'comparison',
preferring the much more
artistically friendly
term 'influenced by'.
I don't believe an artist
instinctively goes out
to try and sound like
someone else, that's just
the way it's perceived.
The ideas are their own
and the way they write
and perform their ideas
is also unique to them.
So yes, Gloeckner is most
definitely influenced
by these people but 'at
the end of the day' (voted
the most hated phrase.
Feb. 2004) this album
has so many different
things going on I can't
compare it to anything
I've ever heard.
Her voice is very expressive
with a husky Americana
twang. Her lyrics are
very imaginative, sometimes
dreamlike that border
on real fantasy tales
and they are bought together
by either the most subtle
of instrumentation or
a full complement of sounds.
There is never a dull
moment as each song brings
something new into the
equation. The title track
is airy and haunting,
whereas 'Nothing personal'
contains a rich blend
of percussion that gives
it a real stomp feel.
The other stand out track
for me is the song 'Clear
the sand' with a chant
like vocal and some absolutely
mesmerising flute.
The record is traditional
roots in base but there
are so many different
styles involved here including
jazz, that magnificent
term 'alt-country' and
a real world music feel.
These put together mean
it will never be pigeonholed
and as I said never gets
boring.
A quality musical experience
then and worth checking
out if you have the chance.
One thing
you have to know is that
her persistence in getting
great music 'realized'
is unstoppable. "Miles
Away" is crisp and
vital as the cover art.
Gloeckner is Iowa's Norah
Jones' comparative. A
voice that contrasts her
sweet appearance, she
rasps in "Remember
When" as ageless
distinction and vocal
maturity become one. Her
voice is not the only
reason to buy her music,
its rich instrument backing
that laps up wandering
vocal harmonies that commit
each song to memory, faultlessly.
- LW for Soul Shine Magazine
Jen
Gloeckner’s debut
independently released
album is a feast of acoustic
tunes. Opening on the
very cinematic title track,
Miles Away, it moves through
fifteen folk and jazz
tinged songs, incorporating
the sounds of Tracy Chapman
and Tori Amos along the
way.
The sound is lush and
beautifully produced,
easily able to stand up
against any contemporary
a major label might throw
at it. Jen Gloeckner is
a name to watch out for
in the future.
Let’s
step across the border
of Alt. Countryland. Then
we get to the land of
the obstinate singer/songwriters,
like Kate Bush, Tori Amos
or Stevie Nicks. Over
there lives an anchorite
who, as a result of her
cd Miles Away, seems to
get more and more fans.
With respect one whispers
her name: Jen Gloeckner.
Keep your ears shut, because
this siren can put a spell
on you. She can
put a spell on you with
her beautiful voice, which
sometimes resembles that
of the Alt-jazz singer
Robin Holcomb, sometimes
that of Stevie Nicks.
On Only 1 she tries
to cover you under a blanket
of overflowing vocals,
while on the ominous Swarm
she tries to pull you
under. She plays
all instruments on some
of the 15 original tracks.
On the other songs she
is accompanied by a rhythm
section and, for instance,
a cellist or a saxophonist
(Glimpse: I haven’t
heard a more beautiful
sax solo since Hazel O’Connors
Will You). In the
oriental sounding Clear
the Sand there is suddenly
a shrill flute. Jen Gloeckners
music is hard to catch.
Is it pop? Jazz?
County or Folk? Yes,
all of it. Next
to each other and mixed
with each other. Let’s
go back to the safe haven
of alt.countryland. It’s
not far away. Passports
please!
- Hugo Vogel
Emerging
from a small mid-Western
town in the USA, Jen Gloeckner's
first album 'Miles Away'
is deeply evocative of
a life spent far away
from big city life. A
tastefully sparse production
means that every guitar
twang and every shiver
in Gloeckner's voice can
be heard. The title
track has the power to
summon up images of deserted,
yet unspoiled lands and
'Hazy Sky' is a rambling
delight, showcasing Gloeckner's
strumming skills. Yet
her best work is laced
with mystery whether it's
the distant cello on 'Seven
Maids', the quasi trip-hop
of 'Nothing Personal'
or the hypnotic majesty
of 'Only 1'.
There are several reasons
for this, most of them
centering around my idealistic
vision for this site.
I hope to keep TM3AM as
free of obligations and
you-scratch-my-back deals
as I can, and even the
very act of accepting
a free CD from someone
feels to me like a contract.
I'm always upfront about
not promising a review,
which usually deters people
from sending their work
my way. While that obviously
means I may not get to
hear some music I would
enjoy, it just feels better
for me to work this way.
Another big reason that
I don't usually take freebies
is Sturgeon's Law, however.
When I worked at Face
Magazine, we got free
CDs all the time, dozens
each week, and 90 percent
of them sucked. I have
enough trouble wading
through music I've bought.
Honestly, the thought
of getting piles and piles
of truly awful CDs sent
to my door is horrifying.
So when an artist decides
to send me a freebie anyway,
despite my not promising
a mention, I usually approach
with skepticism and trepidation.
This is all to say that
when one of those rare
free discs makes a positive
impression, it's had to
fight an uphill battle,
so you know it must be
pretty good. Such is the
case with Jen Gloeckner's
Miles Away. This record
sounded good the first
time I heard it, and has
only deepened since. Gloeckner
could dismissively be
described as a folk artist
- she has a crisp, clear
voice and plays acoustic
guitar - but her textured
music is broader than
that.
Take "Nothing Personal,"
a creepy bass-driven dirge
with a captivating vibe.
Or "Only 1,"
a sweet ballad with a
breathtaking vocal arrangement
over minimal instrumentation.
Miles Away is an album
built on atmosphere and
mood, and Gloeckner sometimes
sacrifices melody for
feeling, but it's a sacrifice
she knows she's making.
When she pulls out the
melodies, as on the 6/8
gem "Glue,"
they're winners. The album
is subtly augmented with
cellos and saxophones,
and drums and bass are
used sparingly. It's all
about the mood it sets.
This album is full of
little surprises. The
Eastern-tinged "Clear
the Sand" floats
above a bed of congas
and features some nifty
flute solos. The beautiful
"Mountains"
features an airy plucked
mandolin and some of the
record's best cello playing
from Kameron Cole. A Stevie
Nicks influence crops
up on "Hazy Sky,"
and later on "Otherside,"
with its piano-led arrangement.
There's a simplicity to
this record, both musically
and lyrically, but it's
an effective one.
I know I'm setting a dangerous
precedent here by giving
a freebie a positive review,
but Miles Away is something
I would have been pleased
to have paid money for.
I fully expect the next
nine free records I get
to be terrible, because
Miles Away is quite good.
The
list of american female
songwriters keeps on growing
and this CD autoproduced
by
Jen Gloeckner is a fair
demostration that sometimes
the need of doing something
that you believe in goes
over problems. This CD,
with a major label at
the background will be
at the same level of popularity
of Norah Jones.
With influences of the
best Hope Sandoval, Nina
Nastasia or the first
and better year
of Tracy Chapman makes
'Miles Away' (2004) a
perfect jewelery piece.
Right from
the tremblingly subtle
acoustic based opening
track; 'Miles Away' this
soothing US songstress
captures with incise precision
feelings of emptiness,
emanating from small-town
life where she grew up
and the uncertainty that
is a natural corollary
losing touch with the
important things in life.
Heather Nova with a tinge
of Thea Gilmore style
vocals are at the heart
of this compelling album
that tackles topics like
nostalgia and heartbreak.
The mood conveyed at times
through quite haunting
keyboard and cello fuelled
instrumentals. A case
in point being 'Nothing
Personal', whereby Jen's
meandering vocals and
terse lyrics are bound
to set the listener on
a mystic mind bending
journey with stern reiteration
of the line;
"Alice followed
the rabbit, nothing
personal just habit"
There is a dark almost
PJ Harvey like kick
to some of the tracks
like 'Glue' and 'Swarm'
that keeps you on your
toes and makes this
15 track album value
for money. Jen oozes
authenticity and honesty
that is so refreshing
in an industry typically
devoid of these characteristics.
The album unwinds to
produce a proud blues
finish courtesy of 'Otherside'
and 'Wasting Time',
with the former summing
up the blues spirit,
yet Gloeckner with her
upbeat vocal still manages
to leave the listener
feeling uplifted.
This is such beautiful
music and so gracefully
and tastefully presented
that I feel guilty and
unworthy when I attempt
to describe it with my
meager words. Folky, acoustic,
jazzy, heartfelt messages
of Nick Drakelike moody
atmospheric beauty and
delicate vocal delivery
that sounds like a more
resonant Stevie Nicks
blessed with greater range
and more emotional fluidity.
Jen's lyrics walk like
soft kitten paws through
the tracks and trails
of emotional sound poems
that blend symbolism and
symmetry into a tapestry
mosaic of melody and rhyme,
thoughtful and moody like
changing seasons and quiet
time. Whether playing
alone, painting acoustic
colors over a cello's
hum, or swaying stylishly
in front of a full band,
Jen weaves a spell of
magic that is uniquely
feminine, fascinatingly
mysterious, and at the
same time evoking universal
themes that call to us
all.
Jen Gloeckener is a
guitarist/singer-songwriter
whose 15-track release
exhibits great depth,
thanks to both Gloeckner's
rich vocal delivery and
the expert use of instrumentation.
Gloeckner's deep
vocal delivery, reminiscent
of a cross between Tori
Amos, Siousxie Sioux and
Stevie Nicks circa the
late '70s, exudes confidence
and mystery, while each
of the album's tracks
is given a distinct identity
thanks to the multi-usage
of piano, different types
of percussion, and other
world beat instruments.
Well-balanced yet
adventurous, MILES AWAY
is a solid collection
of songs that tactfully
walk the line between
loungy and edgy.
Reviewing music is
a lot different to listening
to music you’ve
chosen yourself. Often
there’s a kind
of objective detachment
that gets in the way
and sometimes you’re
trying to get inside
the head of the artist,
and the heads of the
people who the music
is intended for to see
what you think should
be happening and how
successful that is without
really engaging with
it.
Every now and then
though, something else
happens. You listen
to something that you
know is just amazing
and it’s also
