Jandek

The latest release from Jandek, who has three tracks comprised of solo vocals and no instruments, including "I Need Your Life," which lasts over 28 minutes, "It's Your House," which lasts over 22 minutes and "I Went Outside," which clocks in at just over a minute. "I Need Your Life" and "It's Your House" are both sincere, pleading confessionals about Jandek wanting to be good and wanting to know if he is on the right path. The latter song title is in reference to Jandek being the vessel for this goodness. I get the impression that Jandek is addressing these extended songs to God, showing reverence and faith but not in a dogmatic, prepared script manner. Put My Dream On This Planet is one of the oddest yet earnest expressions of faith and devotion I have heard in awhile. As this is a later album - Jandek sounds old, with a deep, grainy, Johnny Cash-like voice that appears to be recorded by a portable microphone, as opposed to a crisp studio recording. "I Went Outside" is a simple prose song: "Cold, dark and lonely, I look for my shoes/I put 'em on/I went for a walk in the snow and ice/so cold." A rather bleak ending for such an intense, spiritual album.