Jenny Gillespie Mason is one of those artists who consistently surprises in a pleasant way. The last album from Sis mined Eighties pop for new thrills. This new record, Saints and Aliens, billed to Sis and the Lower Wisdom, is full of robust New Wave-inspired music which reveals the influence of artists like Kate Bush and Jane Siberry.
The supple "Big Bend (Oh Jai Ma)" mixes Jenny's lovely voice with beats and keyboards to create a shimmering effect, while opener "Crocus Man" is more direct and catchy. The gorgeous "Wolf Child" is like some combo of The Innocence Mission and very early Sarah McLachlan. This is exactly the kind of thing that Mason does so very well, and the sweet hooks here please almost as much as her lilting vocals.
So far there have been three albums from Jenny Gillespie Mason reviewed here, and each one was credited to a different band. Her work remains underrated, and the neat mix of mysiticism and synth-pop she offers up is something that deserves more listeners. Hopefully with Saints and Aliens she'll get them.
Saints and Aliens by Sis and the Lower Wisdom is out now. Details below.
[Photo: Ginger Fierstein]