Gary Lucas and Jann Klose
Stereopticon
Reviewed by: Jane Roser
“A stereopticon is a classic slide projector that combines two images to create a three-dimensional effect. The title fit since there are the two of us and the album was recorded live on two-inch tape, the classic analog recording technique.”
I honestly had no clue what a stereopticon was until I read this quote by vocalist Jann Klose, which also gave me a new appreciation for the work that went into creating this album. Three years after beginning this collaboration, guitarist Gary Lucas and Klose, along with songwriter Dan Beck, completed ten songs and recorded them in The Maid’s Room in New York City.
Stereopticon is produced by Lucas, Klose and Beck and engineered by Jack McKeever (Joan As Police Woman, Anna & Kate McGarrigle) and Jason Candler (Queen Esther); Candler also plays soprano and tenor sax on two tracks. The album’s first single (as well as the duo’s first collaboration) “Secret Wings” gives the listener a distinct sense of claustrophobia . The song speaks of “walls closing in” and how “the city wore me down” so much that the storyteller wants to run away to escape the screaming and the sirens. I was reminded of how I could never spend more than five days in New York whenever I visited my sister who lived in Brooklyn- the city that never sleeps can definitely induce insomnia. The hauntingly beautiful “Mary Magdalene” is on ode to the communities affected by Hurricane Sandy and has garnered support from several New York City stations for its heartfelt lyrics and sincere respect for the people struggling to get their lives back to normal.
A treasure trove of musical influences, including jazz, blues and folk, permeate throughout and the end result is a cohesive, thought-provoking record.
Rating: Bad-Ass
