Sometimes, a voice can bubble away in the background, a pleasant enough accompaniment on the radio, gradually infiltrating the senses until eventually the realisation dawns that it is something special. Such a description could be applied to my appreciation of Joan Wasser who is about to release her tenth studio album under the moniker of Joan As Police Woman, ‘Lemons, Limes and Orchids’. So, what is it about the voice that has become so attractive? There is definitely a honeyed tone to it, a soulful edge but also an understated quality. It has no need for histrionics or acrobatics, preferring to envelope the listener in a warm and emotional embrace. Allied with immense songcraft, it makes for an impressive combination.
The first single to be taken from ‘Lemons’, ‘Long For Ruin’ ensnared me in its patient grasp. It is a song that persuasively argues its case that we should “slow this slide into Babylon”, looking at how humanity has increasingly ignored its own commonalities, refusing to listen to each other and share resources. It is a piece with classic consciousness raising themes, all backed with quietly distorted guitar chords and understated percussion.
With the second single from the album, ‘Back Again’, she reaches an even higher plateau, inspired by the works of Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye, an incomparable pair of graceful titans. It has that classic Motown combination of an optimistic pop song with ballad lyrics, a persuasive plea with a hold in her voice as she yearns, “but I can’t hold out any longer.”
Having been enticed by these two advance singles, can ‘Lemons’ maintain such heady standards over its other ten tracks? Well, it comes mighty close. The album begins with ‘The Dream’ which gives a good demonstration of what is to follow. Wasser’s voice is a soothing caress, imbued with longing as she envisions a dream man coming to find her over a backing of synths and automated percussion. ‘Full Time Heist’ moves into richer territory, a restrained jazz-tinged soul ballad with all the requisite boxes ticked: soft horns, moody piano, tasteful guitar decoration and a tale of willing duplicity (“Dream up your hole-shaped dream of who I am / and proceed to fall in love with your fantasy / You don’t even notice I’m not in it / It’s not me”).
The deeply sensual ‘With Hope in my Breath’ has Wasser’s voice deeper on the opening lines before fluttering in recall, “you led me to the edge / to your impossibly gorgeous shore / and whispered do it for love”, led by slow-paced but emphatic drums and keys.
‘Started Off Fire’ has great jazzy chords, her voice embracing the sentiment, “You love me like I’m a firmament / You love me like I’m worth it”, its strings heightening the emotions. In contrast, ‘Remember The Voice’ has a more electronic edge and the harsh, repetitive percussive beats are the album’s only misstep, distracting from her gorgeous croon and the song’s experimental leanings. Getting back on track, Wasser puts herself centre stage on ‘Oh Joan’ which with its refrain of “What is there to be done” after the title is reminiscent in structure of latter-day PJ Harvey.
Appearing ninth on the album and weighing in at over six minutes, the title-track is a scene stealer, Wasser’s tender voice set against the lingering echoes of its restrained synth and guitar soundscape, reflections on human struggles, wondering if “our species will evolve to birth our babies” and sympathetic renderings of pain’s dreadful impact. It is a stunning and empathetic development of the record’s themes. It is followed by two tracks that maintain the restraint but have more traditional song structures: ‘Tribute to Holding On’ is a soul ballad with a sense of defiance to her sigh “feed me to the dogs / we’ll survive out on our own” while ‘Safe To Say’ has a woozy but beautiful jazzy sway to its chords. The album closes with ‘Help Is On Its Way’, a piano-led ballad that sets a scene which combines flippancy and dread (“The water’s getting higher / Dirtier / Full of stuff that kills us / And you want me to wait, wait longer.”)
‘Lemons, Limes and Orchids’ is a call for and celebration of love in its widest sense. In her songs and warmly enveloping voice, Wasser had provided a treat for newcomers and longstanding fans alike.
Joan As Police Woman: Lemons, Limes and Orchids – Out 20th September 2024 (Play It Again Sam)
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
