Liz Janes - Say Goodbye

Eight years after the release of her Sufjan Stevens-produced debut, Liz Janes returns with "Say Goodbye" (December 7, Asthmatic Kitty), a remarkable collection of eleven songs she describes as her "soul" album. It's also a significant departure from her past alt/pop work, a warm, richly tailored flight of adult-pop fancy. Notably, the songs were written a capella, creating an emphasis on melodies and singing, then expanded and restructured in the studio with instrumental backing. The result comes not just in Janes' own special songwriting skills but in her evolving view of the artistic process. "I never understood the discipline of art," she reflects, "and only enjoyed the spontaneous. Now discipline is my only way to access the spontaneous. This is growing up, and this is growing older."

Even though she admits "I'm not a real soul singer", Janes brings a cool, softly lit R+B aesthetic to Say Goodbye. Lead focus track "I Don't Believe" simply simmers with a glowing, bluesy saunter, a track that could qualify as a "between the sheets" love song if the sheets were fuzzy flannel instead of satin sheen. Her voice a cool, cooing instrument of subtle understatement, Janes delivers sweetness and sass like a sly wink across the room. "I wanted to make music with real meaning that would be nourishing and comforting to the listener," she says. "I wanted the music to be inspirational and full of light—without ignoring life's violence.”

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Liz Janes - "I Don't Believe" (from Say Goodbye)