The press reception to T H I S C L O S E has been fantastic.
Here is a selection of recent reviews:“T H I S C L O S E, her fifth solo album, is Feder's most fully realized album, featuring nine haunting songs. She manages to create a intimate sonic atmosphere in each of these songs, still, each sounds as a distilled essence of a much larger and deeper musical idea, leaving the listener with lingering thoughts.” ALL ABOUT JAZZ
“Of the nine tracks, three have vocals, Janet’s voice being very pleasant and particularly suited to the sparseness of the songs, as on Crows where it has an “underwater” quality within a backdrop of echoed sounds that often verge on howling. It’s a great opener, the listener immediately drawn in by the depth of the production. Ticking Time Bomb changes tack by adding banjo, the beautifully clear vocal supported by clarinet and accordion in an almost hollow sound that allows the air to get in. Towards the end the mood changes as the tranquillity is shattered, the space filled with dissonant smashing. Angles & Exits is beautifully melancholic with Janet’s fragile voice the focal point. Just gorgeous and one of my favourite tracks on a spellbinding album.” THE PROGRESSIVE ASPECT
“Her latest album T H I S C L O S E is a sonic expedition, playing instruments in an unorthodox fashion, focusing on textures and melody as equals. Feder picks her single notes carefully, sprinkling them on top of drone like tapestries (No Apology() or striking up a conversation with a jazzy piano (You As Part Of A Whole). The sparse, mostly acoustic She Sleeps With The Sky is a 101 for a complex composition dressing up as deceptively simple showcase.” HERE COMES THE FLOOD
“T H I S C L O S E contains plenty of delicately crafted compositions, during which every odd nuance is employed not as a gimmick, but as key a musical component as chords and notes. On each of T H I S C L O S E‘s three vocal-led tracks, you can expect an intimate and disarmingly vulnerable voice delivering direct and haunting lyrics amid music as all-encompassing and unpredictable as weather patterns. This isn’t music solely for the dusty archives of academia. It’s music for the heart and soul.” THE MUSICAL MELTING POT
“the playing is impeccable, but what counts most for me is the way this music has been enriched. Janet and her friends succeeded in creating timeless music that touches on a deeper level.” YOUR MUSIC BLOG
“T H I S C L O S E is an album that I was happy to find in my mailbox…it's a very fine album, a ‘sound object’ that can offer listeners many interesting aspects that they will be quite glad to investigate.” CLOUDS AND CLOCKS
Check out my brand new EPK! Shot by Zack Littlefield, stills and edits by Marc Dalio. A thousand thanks to them and to Chanin Floyd (styling) for making me look good and to Colin Bricker / Mighty Fine Productions Recording Studio for letting us shoot while they were still under construction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T-VB7Y3Tvs
"When someone comes along that's doing something that I've never seen or heard before, it's just so inspiring for me. I mean, it's not just that, it's that it's beautiful music, (Feder is) like an inventor. She's just really using her imagination in an incredible way." -Bill Frisell LISTEN TO INTERVIEW
"It’s not a surprise that Janet Feder’s musicianship is stunning-a completely original amalgam of traditional technique and avant-leaning accents. She can be favorably compared to Derek Bailey or John Fahey. It isn't a surprise that her album 'Songs With Words' is an audiophile's dream: it is recorded in surround, using the Sonoma superaudio system. Her albums always sound good, and she is a perfectionist in the live setting as well. It is not a surprise that 'Songs With Words' is a musically powerful work of art; Janet Feder is nothing if not thoughtful and receptive. The surprise comes in her beautifully evocative voice, which is debuted on her new album. Janet usually inhabits the rarified world of instrumental guitar geniuses with her contemplative, classically informed compositions, but on 'Songs With Words,' she ventures into the vocal realm to great effect. Most startling is her rendition of Dylan's 'Blowing In The Wind' which she takes in new musical directions while keeping the emotional destination intact. What a challenge! Take one of the most recognized and lionized songs in modern music and turn it on its ear, making it your own. A tall order that Ms. Feder pulls off with relaxed aplomb.
Janet's guitar playing remains a wonder. Her prepared, percussive style is the perfect blend of searching for and then finding home. She explores the outer reaches of sonic possibility yet never loses the thread of melody and beauty. It is so rare to find an artist who achieves this level of technical brilliance on her instrument and can still bring you to your knees with the emotional impact of her performing abilities. 'Songs With Words' does just that: it lifts the mind and then holds the heart in that elevated space." - Paul Epstein, Twist & Shout Records
