If Joan Wasser's music has always been a little gloomy, it's understandable, considering the tragedy that befell her when then boyfriend Jeff Buckley met his death by drowning in 1997. Yet to call 'The Deep Field' Wasser's most uplifting or joyous album yet, though it's undoubtedly true, is a little misleading. Sure, its soul-infused melodies are positively exuberant in comparison to Joan's last album, 'To Survive', which was also darkened by the death of her mother, but the tone of this, Joan's third studio record, is still relatively downbeat and by no means lacking in bleak undertones of its own.
'Flash', in particular, is sinister yet vulnerable with its heartbeat-like rhythm and minor harmonies while 'Forever and a Year' is more obviously sorrowful, with Joan's voice creaks with emotion, with longing and pain. But the focus of 'The Deep Field' remains firmly on the physical and the sensual, the perfect themes for soul music. 'Human Condition' is swathed in a layer of sultry sleaze, carried along by the deep, grumbling Barry White-like backing vocal. Elsewhere, Joan even manages to be almost fun, with single 'The Magic' boasting a funky beat and irresistible chorus.
It's not always riveting, and at almost an hour's running time 'The Deep Field' takes a certain level of commitment, but when it gets it right, it's darkly beautiful and discreetly moving.
