College/Art Rock: Liz Janes & Create(!)'s Liz Janes & Create(!)

Our defining instruments often come out of necessity. Church music turned to the organ as a way to amplify a keyed instrument to accompany congregational singing. Mountain songs were written for banjos, because that’s what they had on hand. The organ has persisted, but somewhere along the line, the church excommunicated the banjo.

When Liz Janes and Create(!) unearth public doman songs about the love of Jesus on their self-titled collaboration, they also unpack the banjo to lead the opening tune, “Lonesome Valley.” The one room shack Tackyland in Long Beach, California, served as recording studio. Don’t know if Tackyland has dirt floors and bare wood walls, but the cabin feel is what you get as the group creaks through a jazz-folk rendition of “Be My Husband.”

The drone of voices and strings create the foreboding setting for “All the Pretty Horses” to appear out of St. John’s Revelation. In “Careless Love,” the marching percussion underscores the airy vocals, giving that same sense of something lurking around the corner which is bringing an end, life, death, love, and law all at the same time.

It’s been oft-noted that Led Zeppelin borrowed (stole) heavily from the Blues and Gospel. When the acoustic guitar enters with a bluesy Gospel on “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,” it’s like tilling up the original field recording which inspired Zeppelin’s “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.” Handclaps, footstomping, and small percussion instruments accompany this medley with “Run, Old Jeremiah.”

“Plow” also uncovers the free spirit behind the worship of God, even as David danced before the Lord. We don’t meet in a cabin; we don’t sing folk-blues-Gospel songs; but my foot still wants to tap a beat as I worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ in our congregation. The energy is there, coming from God’s Word itself.

Thanks to Liz Janes and Asthmatic Kitty Records for the review
copy.