Album Name: Diabolical Streak
Artist: Jill Tracy
Year/Label: 1999 / Slight of Hand
Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds
You are in New Orleans, it’s hot, muggy and the air still. You are sitting in a small dark theater drinking and fanning yourself to get cool. But you hardly notice because and listening to an incredible performer who is playing the piano and telling stories of death and love.
This album transports me to another place and time. It creates such imagery. Her music is a cross between ragtime, Tori Amos and a little Squirrel Nut Zippers gone mad. Her voice recalls Siouxie Sioux. Her lyrics are beautiful yet unsettling.
The CD opens with “Evil Night Together”. Which is sort of a frolicking, “let’s go out and do crimes” kind of feeling:
“I’ll hold your hand while they drag the river
I’ll cuddle you in the undertow
I’ll keep my hand on your trigger finger
I’ll take you down where the train tracks go
Let’s while away the hours
Let’s spend an evil night together”
Meanwhile the music is filled with jangly piano, a weeping violin and a strong drum beat.
The song, “The Proof” is all over this death theme. Whether it is with “her husbands hunting knife” or at ones own hands…it is quite spooky.
She moves away from the death thing for a trip to love in “Extraordinary”.
“I’ve searched the holy books and I’ve dog-eared every page
I’ve stolen secrets from the sorcerer’s own sage
I’m rendered speechless in my pretty little rage
But I’ll save one word for you…
Extraordinary.”
Then there is the other side of love with “The other Side of Pain
“The Persian rugs have gone threadbare
The waxing moon has lost its flair
The wishes drowned beneath the well
The razor blades have all gone dull.”
With song titles such as “The Fine Art of Poisoning”, “Pulling Your insides Out” and “Doomsday Serenade” you get the idea. If this is your thing I highly recommend this CD. Go ahead…spend an evil night with Jill Tracy, I dare you!
Posted on December 5, 1999
Track Listing
1. Evil Night Together
2. The Fine Art of Poisioning
3. Pulling Your Insides Out
4. Extraordinary
5. The Proof
6. Just the Other Side of Pain
7. You Leave Me Cold
8. Doomsday Serenade
9. Precursor # 7 (For a Levitation)
10. Diabolical Streak
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