Twenty-one years after their debut release, The Juliana Hatfield Three, the original group is back for a new album, Whatever, My Love. The album, to be released in a few short weeks via American Laundromat Records is filled with that 90s singer-songwriter alternative rock vibe running through the veins of the album. The group originated in that era dominated by female lead garage rock contemporaries The Cranberries, Sheryl Crow, and Mazzy Star. Juliana has successfully transitioned the group’s original alt-rock songwriting style into 2015 with this new album.
Recorded across the river in Hoboken, the twelve-song album features songs driven by lead riffs. The album’s first single, “If I Could” was released back in December, and features a more upbeat themes and acoustic-based songwriting. It contrasts really well with the faster and punk-influenced songs like “Dog On A Chain” and “Push Pin.”
All throughout the album, songs feature her mastered the double vocals style. It’s an older, more dated style of recording vocals, but it’s the groups maturity and grasp of strong producing techniques over the past couple decades that ease it into the modern recording era. Although a bit more mature, you can still hear that younger, possibly insecure version of Juliana in tracks like “Ordinary Guy,” “I Don’t Know What To Do With My Hands,” and “I’m Shy.”
Whiskey Rating: 4 out of 5 Shots
Article by: Tommy Shackleford
