Cosmic Troubles, the second solo album to arrive from Jessica Jalbert and first under her new moniker Faith Healer, is an appropriate title. Some of the garage numbers, such as "Acid," "Again" and "Until the World Lets Me Go" could almost come across as breezy '70s psych send-offs until one examines the lyrics, which touch upon themes such as relationships and the afterlife in a dark, almost caustic manner. Cosmic Troubles, indeed.
Jalbert's songwriting evokes the best of late '60s and early '70s psych-pop, and thanks to the production work of labelmate and close collaborator Renny Wilson, the album succeeds at constructing a dazzling sonic space. Cosmic Troubles was meant to be listened to with headphones; album highlight "Canonized" starts off as a slow burn until it explodes into a kaleidoscope of sounds held down by dreamy vocal harmonies and fuzz guitars that you'd miss anywhere else. Cosmic Troubles is not only stunning, but unexpectedly so — it's not often we get musical reinventions as sudden or dramatic as this that work so well.
(Mint Records)Jalbert's songwriting evokes the best of late '60s and early '70s psych-pop, and thanks to the production work of labelmate and close collaborator Renny Wilson, the album succeeds at constructing a dazzling sonic space. Cosmic Troubles was meant to be listened to with headphones; album highlight "Canonized" starts off as a slow burn until it explodes into a kaleidoscope of sounds held down by dreamy vocal harmonies and fuzz guitars that you'd miss anywhere else. Cosmic Troubles is not only stunning, but unexpectedly so — it's not often we get musical reinventions as sudden or dramatic as this that work so well.