Juliette Lewis - Terra Incognita [Album]

Roadrunner Records

September 9, 2009, 04:18 PM

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9 times out of 10 when actors decide to try their hands as musicians the results are pitiful. The list is long and shitty, be it Keanu Reeves's grunge band, Russell Crowes folk group or Jamie Foxx's cheesy r&b abortion, there are many precedents and they are all resolutely awful. Hoping to buck the trend is Natural Born Killers star and self processed 'live-wire' Juliette Lewis who has already released 2 albums under the banner of 'Juliette and The Licks'. Now free of her band-mates Lewis attempts to strike out on her own with her solo debut album "Terra Incognita" is an eclectic, interesting but ultimately frustrating collection of songs that Juliette Lewis recorded under the tutelage of The Mars Volta's, 'Omar Rodriguez Lopez'.

The albums "intro" is an interesting concept and builds tension nicely into the first song proper 'Noche Sin Fin,' which also happens to be one of the records strongest tracks. Lewis's vocals are wild and untamed with a real grit behind the delivery that one wouldn't think possible of a pampered Hollywood actress. The sound is full and deep with the tumbling drum patterns and sparse fretwork working well together to create an atmosphere that comes across as a cross between The Cramps and The Stooges with Joni Mitchell on lead vocals. There are no real hooks here but the descending chords and harrowing vocals are more than enough to hold my attention. The title track has a more engaging melody but the overly polished sound and lack of any real depth just serves to underline the severe lack of actual song-writing on display. Lewis is given reign to vamp it up and takes it at every opportunity so she's at least playing to her (albeit minimal) strengths but it's not enough to steer the attention away from records general averageness. A few notable exceptions aside though, it's just all so slight.

The faux bluesy strut of 'Hard Lovin' Woman' and the country-esque 'Uh Huh' are both truly dreadful and were both skipped unceremoniously on my second and thirds plays through. 'Female Persecution' is worth a look for Lopez's epic guitar landscaping but Lewis is a bit-player, wailing and rambling around the track aimlessly. The same thing can be said for closing track 'Suicide Dive Bombers' which tails off into psychedelic widescreen without having earned it's wings.

Of course that's not to say it's all bad, other than the strident opening track we have at least 4 other pretty decent tracks with 'Fantasy Bar' and 'Junkyard Heart' being the picks of the bunch. 'Junkyard Heart' has a really infectious groove and although it's hard to take Lewis's diatribe against 'it' girls and models seriously, the chorus at least makes up for it. It speaks volumes that the most promising chorus on the record is wordless. Following 'Fantasy Bar' are the ghostly, distant couplet of 'Romeo' and 'Ghosts' which both show Lewis has a softer side that really suits her if she so chooses to show it. 'Ghosts' in particular shares DNA with the murky beauty of Bat For Lashes and is a sound I'd like to have heard more of.

'Junkyard Heart' is the pick of the more conventional fare with it's dusty atmosphere which are a perfect reflection of Lewis's more understated delivery (which on this evidence I wish she'd use more often). The chorus is "Terra Incognita"'s most immediate and passionate moment with Lewis crooning "moving through the glass alone" underneath a wall of effected guitars. It's the best song the Red Hot Chilli Peppers never wrote and will probably be the song I remember most fondly from this collection.

Overall "Terra Incognita" is a solid sounding record with real character and a handful of great songs but there is just too much filler and certain tracks just sound out of place. Lopez at least gives Lewis the chance to explore some darker territory while retaining her bottle-rocket energy but, by and large, the songs are just not there.

Tracklisting:-
1. Intro
2. Noche Sin Fin
3. Terra Incognita
4. Hard Lovin' Woman
5. Fantasy Bar
6. Romeo
7. Ghosts
8. All is for God
9. Female Persecution
10. Uh Huh
11. Junkyard Heart
12. Suicide Dive Bombers

Recommended:-
Noche Sin Fin, Fantasy Bar, Ghosts, Junkyard Heart

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