Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? (studio album)
by Kara Jackson

A great singer-songwriter album that kind of came out of nowhere for me (Pitchfork might not be what it once was, but they still make me aware of a handful of great records each year that I might well have missed otherwise). Why Does the Earth's biggest success is in how the emotions hit basically every time. Someone here's noted Kara's limited vocal range but I'd pick a limited voice that creates an actual connection to one that's superficially pretty. Before hearing this I was a little nervous seeing that Kara had been the national youth poet laureate, there's some extremely talented poets whose work goes right over my head and I wondered if I might find this a bit impenetrable. In reality it's anything but, the songwriting is direct and accessible without ever being simplistic. The minimal arrangements go really well with this, only leading into bigger instrumental flourishes when they're called for. Rat is a really good example of this, there's a little something extra going on in each line, but the melancholic guitar is the key instrumental feature throughout. It's followed by maybe the strongest track here in the title track, which is probably also the most complicated. In six minutes it goes from an anguished early section towards something more contemplative and equally sad. It's a really effective and subtle shift and it's the type of thing Kara pulls off a few times through the record.

"Why Does the Earth Give Us people to Love" is skeletal. Jackson unfortunately has a limited vocal range. She sings in a particular cadence that doesn?t come together. Her delivery often comes out as flat, especially on rhymes. Her limited attempts to move higher are also strained. The instrumentation is dull with most of it being bare-bones guitar. Strangely enough, the album works best when it meanders. The long tracks allow her storytelling to set in. Slowly but surely the quirks will seem more normal, and you care more about what she is saying. Above all her writing has a fantastic earnestness. With a more diverse instrumental and vocal experience, I think Jackson could create a great project, as it stands, we are not there.

The nicest surprise in years

Album Rating: 67.00
(670/10)

Apr 23

Kara Jackson (USA): Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?

Admirable and not without talent. Will be interested to see what she produces next.

1.Recognized n/a
2.No Fun/Party 68
3.Dickhead Blues 63
4.Therapy 70
5.Pawnshop 64
6.Brain 68
7.Free 60
8.Lily 66
9.Rat 72
10.Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? 70
11.Curtains 69
12.Recognize Reprise n/a
13.Liquor n/a

84/100

A successful concept album, a pronounced singularity, enchanting songs, touching subjects, all this crowned by vivid emotions

Key songs : Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? / Dickhead Blues / Rat / No Fun-Party