Jennifer Lynn: Leavin’
Aerlyn Records, Cowan Country Music Co., 2004
Jennifer Lynn (see “Jennifer Lynn: Barreling out of the chute” this issue) recorded her debut album, Leavin’, in the early recording style of her heroes Elvis Presley and Loretta Lynn (no relation): a live performance captured to tape in a single take. One mistake, and you start over. That Leavin’ was recorded and mixed in just 48 hours is attributable in part to the very competent musicians Jennifer has surrounded herself with, who continually deliver a solid and engaging performance. But Jennifer herself has such amazing vocal control, that it’s easy to understand why minimal retakes were needed to capture her emotional and vocal intent. The resulting CD is a mix of classic country, rockabilly, and folk, all wrapped around Jennifer’s soulful and commanding vocals.
After graduating from WSU in 2003, Jennifer relocated to Portland, Oregon, and began her professional music career playing local clubs and honing her skills as a songwriter. Her writing talent shines on Leavin’, for which she penned all but one song. You know she understands storytelling, when she sings in “Kiss Me Once,”
You can leave your past
behind,
She can’t hurt you anymore.
You could walk into a happy
life,
Well, baby, I’m your open door.
Jennifer explores the Americana genre in various ways, demonstrating that she is not content with just one sound. This is evident when she rocks the house with the Elvis-inspired “Sittin’ in the Station,” and in the serious storytelling of “Tired,” a sympathetic look at the failings of a relationship. “Tired” offers such a nice twist at the end that listeners will find themselves replaying it, just to hear the story once more.
But Leavin’ isn’t all serious. Jennifer shows off her humorous side in the rockabilly number, “Pucker Up,” when she sings, “Pucker up, close your eyes, and kiss me goodbye.” The images the lyrics evoke will bring a smile to your face, and the song is undoubtedly a favorite at live performances.
Jennifer rounds out the CD with an inspired cover of the classic 1960 Loretta Lynn song, “Honky Tonk Girl” that Loretta would surely be proud of.
Leavin’ doesn’t break new ground, but it is a solid freshman effort by the Port Angeles native and is sure to gain attention outside the Pacific Northwest. She’s already working on her second album, so more good things are sure to come from Jennifer Lynn.
For more information, see www.jlynn.com.
—Jason Kardong ’95
Jason Kardong has been part of the Northwest Americana music scene since 1991. He resides in Seattle and performs with the band “The Wakefields.”