 Holly Cole Dark Dear Heart shocked the hell out of me when I first put it on. Having heard Holly Cole's previous recordings but having not really followed her per se, I was not prepared to imagine that she'd go pop. Her other albums, up to and including the live It Happened One Night (which departed a bit from her usual jazz trio approach but remained rooted in the trio's structure), had established her as one of the most unique jazz vocalists to emerge in the 90s. So imagine my surprise when I pressed play and was greeted by the Alanis-like slick production of "I've Just Seen a Face" … a Beatles cover, to boot! The more I listened, though, I began to see how in some ways Holly had been moving in this direction for some time, even though she'd been utilizing more conventional jazz instrumentation. The songs here are only superficially radical in the context of Holly Cole's career, because beneath the pop production values are the same sorts of songs she's been doing all along, and her voice, as always, is something to marvel at. Then I started to think about how no artists really attempt big crossovers from the jazz world anymore. The lines have become so rigid between musical categories that it really doesn't behoove anyone to try it. I'd be curious to see what the sales on this album have been compared to some of her earlier albums (less, I'd imagine). She has likely alienated her jazz audience while missing out on her potential pop audience, but I won't hold any of this against the album itself. It's all been done before, but Holly is always interesting to hear. "I've Just Seen a Face" may be predictable and I could almost see it being played on "Party of Five," but it's actually done pretty well. "Make it Go Away" (best song on the album) echoes Cole's earlier "Cry (If You Want To)" and similarly could have been used on "Ally McBeal." "Onion Girl" doesn't quite work (is it possible to use the word "Onion" in a song and make it work? The only other song I can think of that tries is "The Onion Song" by Marvin & Tammi, but that doesn't really work either), and "Dark Dear Heart" sort of just sits there. Some of the other songs get into later Suzanne Vega territory (another artist who doesn't really have a huge audience), and overall I'd say the weakness of the album stems from the overly precise production. Even would-be "arty" experiments like "Timbuktu" and "Brighter Lonely Day" sound a bit too calculated, even as they remain very listenable. A cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" tries to break some new ground but falls mainly flat. I wonder why no one can ever make a great Joni cover (Amy Grant's "Big Yellow Taxi" beats the original; I can't think of any other good ones whatsoever). Dark Dear Heart would have been a good Natalie Imbruglia album, but it's a bit if a strained Holly Cole album. I'd rank it alongside Suzanne Vega's Nine Objects of Desire as an album that seems good the first couple times you hear it, but never reveals any depth beyond that. Perhaps there is still a chance for Holly Cole to go Top 40 … more power to her. I suppose it's only a matter of time before even Diana Krall ever performs a duet with Bryan Adams.
Review by Joe Gargle |