Joan As Police Woman comes out of Africa for her latest project

JOAN Wasser, better known as Joan As Police Woman, has worked several different musicians but her latest project was born out of Africa.

Joan As Police Woman, aka Joan Wasser, uses African influences for her latest album Let It Be You.

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JOAN Wasser, better known as Joan As Police Woman, has worked with a big cast of different musicians over the years but her latest project, Let It Be You (Reveal Records), with Benjamin Lazar Davis is particularly interesting as it was for the large part born out of Africa.

Separately, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Wasser worked on Damon Albarn’s Africa Express project in Ethiopia, while multi-instrumentalist Davis travelled to West Africa as part of his studies of the region’s traditional music at the New England Conservatory.

The result of this stimulating collaboration is a fascinating melange of electronica, soul, dreamy layered pop and hazy vocals over strong danceable rhythms.

The African influence is not immediately apparent but the title track with Wasser’s vocals grooving on top of hand claps and a foot-tapping beat, and the instrumental riffs on the opening track, Broke Me In Two, all have a whiff of the thumb piano about them.

CONNECTION

Wasser’s mixture of rock, folk, jazz and her hero Al Green’s smooth soul is well known with six solo albums under her belt as well as collaborations with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed and Scissor Sisters. Davis, however, is less high-profile with his work with Okkervill River being his main claim to fame.

He has a deep connection to Africa, however. His father Peter spent three years as a music director at a school in Malawi. As well as being equally proficient as a drummer and as a keyboardist, Davis also a good voice, strong enough to claim solo status on Overloaded and Hurts So Bad.

Album artwork for Joan As Policewoman's 2016 album Let It Be You with Benjamin Lazar Davis.

The 10 tracks, culminating in mesmeric six-minute beauty of Station — a moody Rickie Lee Jones-style track which is a marked departure from the other songs — will grow on you with repeated listening. Wasser and Davis are obviously firing off each other creatively throughout the 36 minutes this journey takes and it’s well worth hopping on board.

If you’re still a collector of physical CDs you can pick it up from JB Hi-Fi for $24.99.