Music Review: Jana Mashonee - New Moon Born

2009 album New Moon Born by Jana Mashonee is a fresh blend of musical styles, mixing world music, rhythm and blues, and soul. Her music brings to mind that of artists like Corinne Bailey Rae or Brit-pop artist Adele, if either was more enthused. You know that sort of music that, for lack of a better description, makes you feel good? That's what this is. By the end of it, I was cheering her along, and for good reason.

Mashonee has steadily been gaining in popularity and garnering increasing attention from the mainstream music scene. Most recently, she performed at the 2009 American Indian Presidential Inaugural Ball, singing a cover of the Sam Cooke song “A Change Is Gonna Come.” She has toured extensively through 48 states, as well as Canada and Europe. Previous releases include Grammy-nominated 2006 album American Indian Story, and holiday album American Indian Christmas.

Admittedly, New Moon Born gets off to a slow start. The first four tracks are generic and entirely forgettable, though it would be a pity if anyone stopped listening at the four
song mark. Where this album really shines is in the second half.

It finds its stride with the fifth track, “Miracle,” and doesn’t look back. The song opens with a strong funk flavor, and is much better suited to her talents than the earlier stuff. There’s a great amount of personality in the piece – it’s got a little attitude, a hint of playfulness, and a fun chorus. It’s a good change in tone, and performed flawlessly. Compared to “Miracle,” the earlier songs seem like false starts. Lyrics like, “It was a miracle / Not an ordinary day / It was quite beautiful / I’ll never let it slip away” add even more spirit.

Further into the album, songs like “Angel” and “Lessons Learned” are toned down and more reserved, but maintain the quality of performance seen in “Miracle.” In particular, “Angel” is impressive; the instrumentation is simpler than other songs on the album, but it works well – the piano, acoustic guitar and light background percussion are mixed well, and serve as an excellent foundation to showcase Mashonee’s superb vocal performance.

Article Author: Brian Murff

Brian Murff is a college student studying professional writing at the University of Oklahoma. He spends an absurd amount of his time reading, listening to music, and playing video games. He also likes playing the occasional game of bocce.

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