In Exile Deo (2004)
Juliana Hatfield
- Get In Line
- Jamie’s In Town
- Tourist
- Some Rainy Sunday
- Tomorrow Never Comes
- Forever
- Dirty Dog
- Because We Love You
- Singing In The Shower
- It Should’ve Been You
- Sunshine
- Don’t Let Me Down
- My Enemy
;)
Criticised in some quarters for sounding too polished and packaged, this album is an absolute gem.
The themes of dysfunction, incompatibility and alienation are again explored on this album but with a look to the future and not always a positive one.
But for the most part, the themes concentrate on the personal demons we face, the habits we know we must break to make our lives what we want them to be. Sometimes Juliana takes on the role of commentator such as on the sad tale of the 40 year old Singing In The Shower, “dreaming of nights he’s been missing all of his life”.;)
On tracks such as the dark Forever she acknowledges a bad habit and tells herself “just one more, then I’ll quit, forever”. It could be a tribute to nicotine or an acknowledgement of a bad behavioural trait. But whatever it’s intention like all the great songs the listener can interpret it how they want to.
Then, just as the album nears its close, comes the truly upbeat moment on the delightful Sunshine: “i've been sleeping through my life / now I'm waking up / and I want to stand in the sunshine”. The song has a magical uplifting tune to match. Beautiful.
The AOR production and songs structured like Because We Love You undoubtedly led to the allegation in Q magazine that Juliana was turning into Sheryl Crow. Meant as an insult but reflecting an entirely natural maturity in the songwriting process of a woman in her mid 30’s. In Exile Deo stands up to repeated plays more than any other in the “adult female rock” genre.;)
The inclusion of Dot Allison’s Tomorrow Never Comes is nonetheless a curious one. Hardly differing from Allison’s superior version it doesn’t quite fit on this album, despite the lyrics. And as for Dirty Dog, well the less said the better. These two songs aside, In Exile Deo, is a triumph.
For those in personal crisis this is an album of unashamed comfort and inspiration.
"Sunshine", performed at The Paradise Theater
Boston - August 2005
;)
;)
Other Reviews from Music Sites and Blogs:
"In the best sense, Hatfield sounds mature for the first time, bringing together the precious pop and ringing rock that she had compartmentalized on the simultaneously released Beautiful Creature and Total System Failure, and writing with a wry, knowing sense of irony."
9/10
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic