Jodi Jett- Revelations

Revelations, the full-length debut from New York City's Jodi Jett, finds the singer/songwriter working her way through an 11-song set containing tales of love, lust, and life. Decidedly atmospheric layered guitar flourishes and warm production highlight Jett's blend of modern and retro rock, at times evoking everyone from Mazzy Star to Elysian Fields to Chris Isaak to Ani DiFranco to Lou Reed. Nicely arranged and co-produced by Jett and Phil Palazzolo, the album paints an interesting tapestry, even at its sparsest.

Whether she's fully dialed in (the bouncy, lyrically amusing rocker "Greasy") or stripped back (the cello-laden acoustic guitar based "Heaven to Me"), Jodi Jett's sound is captivating and emotive. Laid-back, mellow retro rockers like "No Place Like Home" and "Instead" project a definitive early Mazzy Star vibe, while the slightly more raucous "80s Girl" finds Jett weaving fads, catch phrases, song titles, and film and song lines into something of a roughly stitched-together quilt of 80s references. The sexy snaking bass and pulsing guitar slides of "Nemesis", the moody, plodding "Pretty Girl", and the stark "Other Half" provide more highlights.

As a whole, Jodi Jett's debut is a rather solid and impressive offering, often sounding genuine and heartfelt. Its retro appeal, from the 60s/70s flourishes found in its strong production and arrangements to the references of "80s girl", coalesces with its more modern elements to create something of a stylistic hybrid with a consistent sound but fair amount of range. Fans of mellow, swirling rock, both old and new, will likely find something quite worthwhile in Revelations to latch onto.