Jean on Jean

When Molly Schnick’s band Out Hud broke up in 2005, all her efforts were placed in a new project that led her back to the basics. She slowly developed her sound over the following three years, adding orchestral elements such as strings, guitars, organs and percussion to her stand-alone voice. Today, Jean on Jean is the result, an album that carries a contagious DIY ethic on its hard-sewn edges. Album opener "Tonight” mixes jingling bells and motivated guitars alongside whispering vocals, making for an irresistible hook that leads you into the rest of the record. "Grown” follows with innocent contemplations, while "Circle” and "You And I” present a lyrical sing-speak style reminiscent of Ghost Bees or Joanna Newsom. Although Schnick delves into dramatic storytelling near the end of the record, she never fails to remind you that all of Jean on Jean’s lace still has a few deliberate wrinkles for authenticity’s sake.